Hello darling. I don’t want to sound overly optimistic, but things are getting made! I have some finished objects and some knitting mojo and I seem to be figuring out a little routine that keeps my body from screaming at me. Things are starting to come together and I am delighted. October was crazy busy, like all Octobers are. I don’t know why so much has to be crammed into 31 days, but such is life and love.
Finished objects:
New Baby O sweater using Bean & Olive pattern math by Andrea Mowry. I knit this using Bernat Softee Baby Cotton. I knit the size 0-6 months
Three Cadillac Knot Ear Warmers by Arcadia Knits. I used left over Malabrigo Worsted (red) and Juniper Moon Farm Moonshine (purple). These were left over yarns from other projects and it thrills me to use them up.
Brioche Scarf for Sister #2 self drafted. I used Malabrigo Rios. This was a barter scarf that I knit her since she made me a bunch of washing instructions tags. It matches her Sweet Almond hat.
The fuzzy hat is done! This is knit in my ribbed hat pattern using Houndstooth Fiber Nomad paired with Trendsetter Silkhair Lux. I don’t remember who the intended recipient of this hat was, so it is going in the gift pile.
No picture needed, but 14 hexi-flats
Ehrmergerd, Becky! I am so excited that I have finished things to show! I am very happy with all of my finished objects. I finally learned how to knit brioche, and I find it super addictive. I have my eye out for a good sweater pattern in that stitch. I used it to create the long overdue scarf for Sister #2. She understood why it took so long, but I hated having it hang over my head. It felt ungrateful, honestly, that it took so long for me to give her something in return for her hard work on my tags. I should have taken a better picture, but I was finishing it while she was sitting there. The baby sweater came out super cute and will be mailed out to it’s recipient very soon. The fuzzy hat should have taken me two days to knit, but instead it took a month of Sundays. Ridiculous. At least it is finally done. I also made a tiny dent in some hexis, though no where near my goal of 50 per month. At least I am still enjoying making them. I can see having most of them knit by the end of the year. It will probably take me another year to stitch them together though. I do need to do some research to find the best, most invisible, way to stitch the together. Since they are thicker than the pattern calls for, I don’t think I will need quite as many. I still think I will need around 250-300. I will just keep chipping away at them. So far, I have completed two of the teacher gifts and need to get moving on the others. I also didn’t know last month that we would be adding another teacher to the mix. Somehow, I have been conscripted to knit four pair so of fingerless mitts (not my favorite). I need to start looking into patterns for them. I found a top-down ribbed hat pattern for the two hats. I have been having some fits with it due to only having fairly stiff needles. I ordered another pair, but my hopes are not high that they will resolve the issue. I am very hopeful that I can figure it out, though, so that I can use that pattern going forward. I have dreams of being able to use an entire skein of yarn on a hat and leaving no leftovers.
Teacher gifts:
- 1st period- fingerless mitts
- 2nd period- fingerless mitts
- 3rd period- hat
- 4th period- no teacher
- 5th period- same teacher as 2nd period
- 6th period- hat
- 7th period- ear warmer (DONE)
- School counselor #1- fingerless mitts
- School counselor #2- ear warmer (DONE)
- Choir teacher- fingerless mitts
Other gift knits:
- Feebs’s 25th day gift
- Husband hat (maybe he won’t wash and dry this one)
- Hat/ scarf/ mitts set for Feebs
And why did I buy more fabric??? I mean, the black dress shirt, okay. I will need to pair that with the Father’s shirts when I go to make the patchwork skirt. I may even need one more to have enough squares. But a whole King sized sheet set…? What in the actual hell am I doing? Don’t get me wrong, I looooove the fabric. I actually had already purchased two pillow cases months ago, because the fabric was beautiful and I had plans to make the Bow Bag Clutch. When I saw the entire sheet set for $7 at EcoThrift, I could have (but didn’t) resist and bought it. Now even if I developed enough nerve to finally sew a full dress, there is no way I need a King sized flat sheet, fitted sheet, and six pillow cases. It was impulsive and is bordering on hoarding. Ridiculous woman! 2027 had better be the Year of the Sewing Machine.
October is always packed and chaotic. It is full of anniversaries, birthdays, and events. It goes so fast and is always incredibly expensive. The first week began with helping the mother get ready for her move. There was a lot of packing and planning that needed to happen. I also had dinner with the delightful P-Stewey. We always say we are going to get together more often, then a year will pass. It’s pitiful. The heifer just retired from her job. I am soooo jealous! I am very happy for her though. I had treatment that following week which was uneventful. The Husband and I celebrated our 14th year of marriage. It seems like a lot of years, and it seems like it should be more. I am so happy that he is mine. We went out that weekend to celebrate and went to the fabulous Spanish Tapas restaurant. That place just keeps getting better. I also officially have a creepy new neighbor. The Mother now lives two doors down from us. I can’t tell you how happy I am to have her moved and settled. That was quite an ordeal. After that, the ladies and I went to the It’s Iconic concert and relived our musical glory days with EnVogue, TLC, and Salt n Peppa. OMG that show was amazing! The Pavilion needs to get it together with it’s organization and accessibility, but the show was still amazing. We had a wonderful sleepover at a hotel and the Female O and I have decided that women sleep better when surrounded by women. The issue is really due to kids and husbands. The next weekend I went back for more Spanish tapas with my work ladies. We went there many years ago, in fact they introduced me to La Marcha to begin with. We have decided that we are going to do this at least twice a year, and mix up the restaurants so that we can try new things. I had breakfast with the Husband’s bestest Auntie ever. She is such a delight and I so enjoy my time with her. I wish she would allow me to help her more, though. That night we went to a show in Albany. We saw ArnoCorps at the Ivy Room. I don’t remember ever being in that club before, but the Husband tells me that I have. Who knows? The show was great. There weren’t as many people there as I would have thought. Sadly, my favorite bassist is going through a divorce and he seemed a little stressed. I got to talk to a couple of people there and I really liked them. Look at me, not being 1000% awkward… The 18th of October starts birthday hell week for me. That is Sister #3’s birthday. The 19th is Vero’s birthday. The 20th is Yin’s. The 21st is the Husband’s. The 23rd is the Mother’s. Crazy sauce. I did a LOT of eating out at restaurants that week. The Husband wanted Back-Forty for his birthday dinner, so Feebs and I met him there after work. He took the 22nd off to have a relax day. The Father came here and went to dinner with us and the Mother, which was nice. The Mother and I had a sleepover at her house so that we could be together for coffee on her birthday morning. I took her to get her nails done, and then had to bolt to get an iron infusion. Later that afternoon all of the sisters arrived at her house for our dinner and sleepover. We took her to a nice restaurant and really had a great night. I laughed harder than I have in a long time. I was the designated driver, and almost couldn’t see because I was laughing so hard. I bought us all matching jammie pants as a party favor. It was a really great night and the Mother had the best time.
After the five of us had bunch on Saturday morning, the Husband, Feebs and I got in the car and took off for a mini adventure. We were searching for a special bottle of whiskey for the Husband’s birthday. We didn’t find it at the distillery, which ended up being closed. Since we were so close, though, we did end up at a thrift shop that I used to love. I still love them, but they got incredibly expensive. I was on the look out for a black/ dark gray dress shirt for the future patchwork skirt and a Hawaiian themed something for my work’s spirit week. I found both things and the aforementioned King sized sheet set. Shame on me. After that, we found some lunch and his bottle in the next town over. We got to see a lot of littles walking around in their costumes because Benicia had a Halloween parade earlier that day. We also got to go to Costco, which probably doesn’t seem like a big deal. I never get to go there, though, because the Husband generally goes on Fridays while I am at work. I got to stock up on sweats and new walking shoes. It doesn’t take a lot to make me happy, apparently. The week took off at a gallop with spirit week at work, getting the Mother to an injection appointment and Halloween. We went to a party that was hosted by the Reno crew. It was rather overwhelming for me and I tried to blend into the wallpaper as much as possible. At work I dressed as Thing 2, for the party I was Where’s Waldo, and on Halloween I was dressed as an incredibly tired and burned out mom. We went with the FH bestie and his parents. I love their friendship and hope they never lose it. And finally October was done.
A quick chat about the health stuff. I have a lot coming up. I had to get iron infusions because I am severely anemic. I tried to get the single dose, but had a reaction to it and they had to stop it. I got rescheduled for a series of five injections at different intervals. I have a uterine ablation next week, which will hopefully stop the main reason for my anemia. I may never have a period again! The iron infusions were required before I could have my procedures, so it was a scramble to get them all done in time. Then I am finally getting in to see a spine surgeon. I am incredibly hopeful that he has a solution that stops my pain, but doesn’t involve carving a relatively healthy disc out of my spine. Fingers crossed it all goes well. My veins are becoming problematic due to the constant need for IVs. My infusion nurses are encouraging me to get a long term port, if I will have another year of IVIG. It is working so well, that I am prepared to deal with the port.
So that’s all she wrote for October. It was jam packed and busy and expensive, but it was really great. We celebrated great things and wonderful people. I am so grateful to be so full of love and good things that it keeps me so busy. There are much worse things. I am so grateful that the Mother and the Husband are celebrating another year on this earth, being healthy and well. I am grateful to have a fun group of people at work who like to let down their hair and be silly. I am grateful to be on track to get some of my health crap taken care of. I am just grateful to be here and well.
Loves,
M
