Who can resist?

So I haven’t been posting regularly because I am up and running which has only made my life busier than ever.  But who can resist starting a new project, especially with Noro yarn.  I am making another sockhead hat.  Using sock yarn this hat takes a little bit longer but the end result is worth it.

Michigan, Go Blue!

I haven’t written in awhile, it has been a very busy fall/holidays.  I am up and running, my oldest is attending the University of Michigan and we are hosting 2 exchange students (which makes our house full of kids mostly teens, 7 of them, sometimes 8 or 9 depending on whether their brother is back or his friend is crashing here).  Needless to say, I’ve been busy.  That hasn’t kept me from knitting though.  I’ve been anxious to share my current big project.  It has been both fun and frustrating.  I promised my son a sweater when he graduated high school so we spent the spring/summer picking colors patterns, colors and yarn.  We did well.  This sweater screams Mac and will be a personal reflection of his school pride.  He wears maize and blue proudly.  It took a while to find a masculine pattern that was modern enough and could reflect his big personality.  I think we managed.  The pattern was bought at a fun little yarn shop in Chicago, and the yarn ordered from knit picks website. What I didn’t anticipate was how confining the pattern would be, it happens to have many color changes, an intarsia design, so I do not carry the project with me which means I have to make time to work on it.  That has been difficult.  I am almost done with the back, finishing the armhole shaping working towards the shoulder shaping….then the front can be conquered.  And for the first time I cannot wait to do the sleeves–they are solid colored, no more strand knitting! I am hoping a yardage meter will help simplify the front but I mistakenly ordered it from my local yarn shop where ordering seems to be very laid back.  I may just splurge and by the ball winding kit from knit picks.  Now to share my work……

First the pattern…..

Guernsey
My project 

Lost still

Day 2 and my knitting is still in my husbands vehicle.  I’ve managed to distract myself with games on my iPad, it’s not as productive, accentuating my desire for my needles and yarn.  Looks like I’m going to have to work on the baby blanket I’ve been avoiding.   My new projects will have to wait until my husband brings them back to me tonight.  It’s been a long day and it isn’t even over yet…..I think I will make it.  

lost

I left my knitting in my husband’s vehicle.  Not just one project but many…pretty much all the ones I have been working on or wanted to pick up again in my knitting bag….and most of my needles.  I am at a loss, what am I to do when my fingers are itching to knit.  I might just have to fold laundry….I have seriously been avoiding that, I guess its time to fold, not knit.

Comfort

Today is rough.  Life is catching up to me and has me down.  So today I knit for comfort.  Feeling the stitches roll off the needles makes me feel as though I am accomplishing something amidst the mounds of failures that hit like a brick wall.  Rehabilitation is a slow process when I am coming back from being down for so long.  It’s hard to find satisfaction in the small steps forward.  It’s hard to see progress.  Sometimes my knitting matches my mood, today it does.  I am plugging away at my two-at-a-time socks.  Maybe if I can make progress my day won’t feel so unsuccessful. 

 

Tired

I have to admit something.  I haven’t posted in awhile because I haven’t knitted much lately, simply because I am too tired most days to knit.  This road to recovery is a slow bumpy road.  Small setbacks, sore muscles, fitting my prosthetic–all things that have made this a difficult time to write without depressing rants….I will try to keep this depressing rant short.  I am still around working on a pair of socks and a hat, it’s just slow going at the moment.  Today is a beautiful snow day and I get to knit and enjoy a movie, and update my blog.  I will enjoy today, even if I had to cancel my last rehab appointment.  Only one more to go then a home program and later I will return to therapy to get running again.  Now I just need to light my fire, pick up my knitting and enjoy my movie.

If only I had to sets of hands to speed up my knitting 🙂  

Time to Knit

I’m running out of time to knit most days. I guess that’s not so bad there are days I have more than enough time.  This time of physical therapy is a roller coaster ride of rest and activity.  The therapy drains me and makes me sore, forcing me to rest, which frees up my time so I can knit.  No matter what, I stay busy.  Socks are on my needles, baby hats, my sock blanket and that baby blanket I keep forgetting about. I should get started on some Christmas gifts the next time my feet are up.  I’m really liking this jewelry pattern I found….

Bracelets

Tradition

I am keeping up my tradition of belated knitting.  I finished a fall leaf dishcloth today.  I might start my Christmas knitting soon and will probably finish in February just in time to start some hats and mittens for my kids.  Why I can’t knit in preparation is beyond me.  I really should plan ahead.  Oh well. 

At least it’s a pretty leaf.

  
For those of you interested here is the Leaf pattern.

Pillows

So as I am going through the process of getting my first prosthetic leg, I am distracting myself with mindless knitting–back to the garter stitch.  I did add a little bit of design just to keep it interesting and I will post a pattern later.  I happen to have a garbage bag full of pillows from IKEA just waiting for covers.  Extra cotton yarn that is coming out my ears sealed the deal.  The cotton washcloth yarn knit up extremely soft pillow, my kids love it.  So I am making a second pillow this time in their school colors.  

Here’s the first pillow

   

 And here are som crocheted hacky sacks that have also kept me distracted through the waiting and resting between fittings

   

And here is me trying out my test leg, I won’t be able to take my leg home for a week or two but I did get to walk some. 

    
   

Pretending to be Patient

I may seem patient on the outside, but I am full of anxiety, excitement, and anticipation as I wait for my new prosthetic leg.  It has been a long summer, knitting has distracted me for the most part, but always there  are nagging emotions just waiting to explode.  In less than a week, I get my test socket.  School has started life is falling into a routine and I wait.  One more week and I can take normal steps, probably just a few as my stump toughens up.  I want to watch my boys run cross-country, walking from checkpoint to checkpoint cheering them on rather than sitting in a wheelchair or riding a scooter.  I hate being dependent on others and actually look forward to cleaning my house.  But I can’t yet, soon.  I wait and knit.  I am finishing some projects, things I lined up before surgery to give me purpose through the recovery process.  Socks, pillows, washcloths and hanging towels have been most of my projects.  Now if only the anticipation didn’t weigh so heavy on me, I might enjoy them.  For now, they are just a distraction as I pretend to be patient.

Casting my leg so my prosthetic can be made, less than a week until my test socket is finished.