A Sock Tale

A couple of years ago on our anniversary I started a pair of anniversary socks. We were on a lovely trip to the Oregon coast and it seem like a good time to start a special project, so I did. I cast on Nancy Bush's Anniversary Socks from  This was the year I would finally knit them. 

You see I knit a lot of plain socks because... I enjoy knitting them. I have knit enough that I just to round and round and round, you know how the world is supposed to be going?

Every once in a while I think that I should finally knit some special fancy socks. You know from one of the many sock knitting books that I own. But there's the rub, you have to pay attention to fancy socks. Nonetheless I cast on to mark our anniversary.

Lovely right?

I had trouble memorizing the pattern till I figured out that I need to rewrite patterns for myself. It is almost like winding up the yarn you're going to use, it is part of the getting to know you process of a project. Once I did that boom zip I had a sock and the start to another one. Mind you it took me a year to figure this out. A year of this special project staying in my mind and on my needles just not being active with either. 

But then I got suspicious, and received confirmation. I ran out of this fantastic red yarn. Then I broke myself and I let it sit. 

But hey I have the same yarn in this nice blue color. Red and blue go together, and even if they don't I don't care I like special socks remember?

I thought about just adding the blue and going plain just to be fast and finish it up. But that's how you get Frankensocks so I stayed fancy. 

I think Burt approves.

Happy anniversary hubby these socks are for me.  

Let's talk knitting at home

With all that is in the news, I waffle between Keep Calm and Carry On and Yikes, Yikes, and oh man more Yikes. So I guess this post will be about the former because it is really all we can do. So let's talk about knitting at home. 

I finished some socks and even remembered to take a picture of them. You know the best thing about being laid up with a broken ankle? When you finish a sock that's all you need for the moment. So I started wearing this pair when it was only a single. I tried them both out at the same time last week. Turns out compression stocking + wool sock + boot keeps a lot of heat on the foot. Way too much warmth. So I am back to singles for the time. 

Once those were off the needles I realized I had no socks on the needles so I had to cast on. I dug out one of my beloved Zauberballs. Hey they are already wound up and ready to knit, and it is not like I will need this ball for easy travel knitting anytime soon.

I'm very glad I bought that nice stash bag on my last trip to my LYS. It is a nice sturdy canvas tote. Nice to have a treat once in a while.

The next day I cast on more socks because really we need upstairs and downstairs knitting on the go.

Burt would like you to know how to deal with that annoying coworker that always tries to take the best chair.

He says it is not really a solution if your coworker doesn't care if you sit on them. He got up before she even budged. It was probably her best Burt scenario.

Try to remember to Keep Calm and Carry On.

Knitting through trauma

OK fine I admit it. When D was laid up with his break in 2016, I thought once or twice to myself, "If that was me I would get so much knitting done." 

Wrong, wrong, you're so wrong past me! Turns out trauma and then surgery trauma does not equal good knitting time. The week prior to surgery all I did was get myself to and from the bathroom, try to find a comfortable position for my leg and fret about my first surgery. Knitting peeps D was very clear on who has dibs on the stash. Although he said he would keep some as a reminder of me.

When I went to the hospital I did not even bring knitting with me. I know you should always have an emergency supply with you at all times, but it seemed like I had so much stuff. I didn't pack a suitcase. I just had an over the shoulder bag that D brought back from one of his New Mexico trips. This thing is my new best friend. I should show it to you one of these days. 

But honestly you're so focused on just healing and what comes next that you don't have any brain power to spare. And lord knows all energy is spent on knitting bones, not yarn. 

Then I had a week post op that went well but really I just had yarn near me that I could pet and look at but knitting? Meh. I know I was a bit worried too.

After that week my brain fog started to lift and I finished a couple of first socks that were almost done to begin with. Then I thought about finally knitting some vacation yarn into a shawl. I searched and searched for a good pattern. Something easy for my brain to not concentrate on. Sure enough I was knitting again. And it felt good, ever so good. 

I saw the doctor again had my stitches removed and got a fancy boot. I was feeling bad about how much time I had taken off. I went back to work part time. Whew, going to work is hard. Trying to balance recovery and work expectations is hard. Then a pandemic finally got to us. Now I am working from home and much more comfortable. I would never have wished this on the world but it did make it just a bit easier to do my job. I am safer and happier at home. 

I wish this pandemic had not happened but I hope all of us can learn from it and make ourselves stronger because of it. I hope the devastation, loss, and hopelessness leaves us quickly. I hope that we can pick up our knitting and be happy once again.

Recovery Shawl

Well I finally have actual knitting content. Whew how good does that feel? It is crappy pictures but of a knit item. 

I cast on My Recovery Shawl after my surgery. I had bought this Kauni color changing yarn when we visited Vancouver Island in 2016. Don't you just love vacation yarn? It has marinated in my stash since then. I thought I found the right pattern for it a couple of times but each time I ripped back. I wanted something to show off the colors and finally decided a nice simple pattern would do just that and allow my brain to relax after surgery. I'm still amazed at how unfocused I was. Trauma really does a number on the brain. So I knit and purled part of my way through recovery. I'm so happy with the way it came out. It is not as big as I like my shawls to be these days but it is warm and pretty. I expect it I would have left it out one of the cats would have snuggle in soon. Hey it might be big enough for both to snuggle in on...

In other news I have very thankfully started working from home this week. My feline coworkers have been trying to be supportive, but mostly they demand food breaks then nap. It is tough taking care of Momma! Burt is very disappointed that I am not sticking to his purr therapy schedule. Very disappointed Momma!

They also decided ages ago that the top level of my Ikea cart makes a pretty ideal kitty condo/penthouse. They have graciously allowed me to store knitting stuff in the lower two levels. You know one of the many reasons I bought the cart.

Whole Lotta

There is a whole lotta taking care of Momma going on, here at Yarnkettle Cottage. Helping Momma heal is painstaking overwhelming work. 

Burt feels it is best to direct his focus to my foot area. Melissa has been assigned the task of keeping a watchful eye on Momma. She may decide she needs to pee in the middle of a cat therapy session.

I am continuing to heal and even feeling well enough to get a bit of my knitting mojo back. I found it hard to find and stay in comfortable positions. I did experience some brain fuzziness and concentration issues. But each day is getting better.

I finished a pair of socks for D, in some 70s appliance colors. 

I also may have finally found the right shawl pattern for my Kuni yarn I bought a while ago.

I tried a pattern I love the look of but my make one's were really not right. Guess I just love a yarn over instead. This is Half Circle Shawl by Jennifer Jones. While my post surgery brain was not firing on all cylinders, I found this a bit confusing. But working through it, it is a nice simple concept and repeat. Once I got going it is almost as easy as my plain socks to knit. Just what my brain requested.

I think the plain simple pattern will show off the color changes nicely too.

And Still Recovering

I am a person that is happy to stay home. I am very comfortable being alone. Wait, I have cats I am never truly alone at home. I am rarely bored because I learned long ago how to entertain myself, and I amuse easily.

The last few weeks have been very frustrating. Everything takes more time, planning and awareness. I am not able to stay comfortable longer than 10 minutes or so. At least that is what it feels like. The cats are frustrated because every time they get comfortable on my lap, I have to move. I swear I can feel at least two screws. OK fine I probably can't but it does feel that way.

On the plus side we have not wanted for people feeding us. Meals have been arranged and delivered. The food has been flavorful as well as plenty and easy for Hubby to prepare. I have a great safe environment, even if it looks a bit same every day.

My husband has been loving, kind, understanding and encouraging through the whole event. He really understands what I am going through even if it is different than what he went through. Seriously he has done more than I could have ever hoped for. We are a team.

So Yeah I may be frustrated and a tinge bored, but I am well cared for and safe. Hubby will even have a new pair of socks soon.

Recovering

So my world has gotten rather small. I had my surgery. It went well. I am so happy to be on the road to recovery.

But... the changes are astounding. Everything needs to be figured out over and over. How do I do things without hurting myself further? How can I make something into the easiest most efficient process? And most importantly how do I feed the cats?!

It took a few days after the surgery to even feel human and somewhat competent.  Now I have moved into the I should be doing more stage. Oddly enough I really want to be doing household tasks! I want so badly to feel productive. I am just a bit obsessed with laundry for some reason.

I have been knitting and doing some exercises, but mostly my time is taken up with sitting uncomfortably and trips to the toilet. My world exists in two rooms.

I am safe. I am cared for. I am healing.

But I feel like I should be more me. I just have to tell myself I am super busy knitting myself back together.  I am productive. I'm growing bone. I am where I need to be, doing what I need to do.

I'd say give myself a break, but... that's how I got here in the first place.