Keeping My Head Above Water

I'm still here, everyone. Keeping my head above water, putting one foot in front of the other, moving forward. Most days, honestly, I still feel like I'm trying to swim through Jello, but I'm here. My friends are a real blessing to me, and hopefully I have let them know that I appreciate their efforts to keep me connected to the real world.

So what have I been doing? You can "friend" me on Goodreads to check out the copious amounts of books I have devoured since the beginning of 2012.

I have also been knitting, of course.

December had me knitting hats for family members...

I knit a snowman afghan square for a swap. This one went to a friend in Europe.


I knit another icky scarlet and grey hat for a good friend who lost the first one I made him, and mailed it to him as a surprise.

Worsted weight yarn on US size 3 needles is a pain. I'm just sayin'. I told him to take this one to the vet and get it microchipped!

These socks were made on size 3 needles from a yarn called Induldgence, which has sadly been discontinued. It would have made a great Baby Surprise Jacket.

I also knitted a Chickadee Cowl (free pattern on Ravelry) for a charity auction to help a friend's loved one with medical bills related to cancer.

A whole group of knitter friends got together and sent knitted items and she was able to create two big basket of knitted items for the auction.

I made a red, white and blue scarf for Honor Flight participants.


Honor Flight of NW Ohio takes WWII Veterans to Washington, D.C. to see the war memorials, specifically the newer WWII Memorial built in their honor. It is the goal of Honor Flight to make sure that all WWII vets see their memorial before they die. On each flight, a goodie bag of treats is given to each Veteran. Yarn Cravin' knitters got together and knitted EIGHTY scarves to give to the participants of the first flight of 2012, which will leave for DC on April 25. Sometimes participants get a pin, or a hat and a pen and little trinkets. We wanted to make sure this group was wrapped with love!

My darling daughter, Mayhem, turned 13 recently, had her tonsils out right after that, and requested a special stuffed toy to love. Introducing "Gort."

Poor Gort is still missing his mouth in that photo. If you are looking for a fun, quick knit, look up Rebecca Danger's Big Book of Monsters.
He is Mayhem's Track Team monster. My baby girl is doing track and softball this spring/summer. That darn tonsillectomy is getting in the way of everything since she is sidelined until April 27.

Another fun knit, and one for me was this Color Affection Shawl. It's still in the top 20 patterns on Ravelry, and I loved knitting it so much that I am pondering colors for another one!



It's all garter stitch, some short rows, and M1R, M1L. One section is using 3 colors of yarn, though, and keeping them from tangling was a bit annoying, but putting the skeins into ziploc bags helped with that issue.

Two more friends are expecting babies and I have started working on wee little baby knits. Can't show those off here yet, though. Top secret stuff!!

By popular demand, Bill and I are doing another student trip once school gets out. The kids who went to Washington, D.C. as 7th graders last year begged us to do a trip for them this year. So... we are taking 50 eighth graders to New York City in June when school is over the year. Lord help us!

Before that, though, I have one more big event. On May 18 I am doing Race For The Cure with my older sister, who is a breast cancer survivor. She has not yet reached the five year mark to be considered "cured," but is getting closer. Last year, if you recall, I held a raffle in her support. This year, I will be doing that again, and asking you to support our team as I walk with her. More details to come very soon.

If you want to donate already, here is our team page and I will make sure you are entered into the raffle for prizes!

1. Click on this link: Knox County Survivors, Families & Friends

2. Just click on my name (Karen Yockey) to make a donation if you want to be included in the prize giveaway.

3.Then send an email to me at ttownknitiot@gmail.com You will have one entry for each $5 you donate. Your donation is tax deductible as well.

Prize info coming soon, but for sure there will be Wollemeise and one autographed copy of Noni's new flower book, Noni Flowers: 40 Exquisite Knitted Flowers.

Gifted... Part One

In the spirit of the season, and an attempt to get into that season, I have been working on some hand-knitted gifts to exchange with my sister and her family this week. She and I decided that we wanted a simpler, less-commercial celebration of Christmas. a Tomorrow evening we are exchanging gifts and my contributions toward that end are displayed below.

A quiet evening of pizza, our four kids and the men with us is bound to be much more enjoyable than a wrapping paper ripping frenzy, which always seems to happen when the whole family gets together.

So, on to what I've made. For the boys, including my brother in law:

Family Ribbed Hats, from the book, More Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson.

Red is for Aaron

These hats are stretchy and warm, and made of Lamb's Pride Bulky wool.

Blue is for Nicholas

Again, I used Lamb's Pride Bulky.

Black and Grey is for the Brother in law. He'll use it for shoveling, and the occasional trip out sledding.

This hat used Shepherd's Shades by Brown Sheep, which contains no mohair.

My sister wanted a totally different hat; one that would keep her warm while walking the big Golden Retreiver who shares their lives. She is receiving Thorpe, a wonderful earflap hat. Both of my kids also have this hat, courtesy of me.


Back to Lamb's Pride Bulky for this one. The trim is crochet, and their are long braids hanging down from the earflaps. Thorpe is a free pattern on Ravelry, if you are a registered user.

More on the topic of "Gifted" in the days to come, because I have been receiving some blessings from some special knitting friends!

Thankful

Thanksgiving has come and gone, but I have reminders still of all that I have to be thankful for.

I'm thankful for Family: There were 20 of us for Thanksgiving, and being at my younger sister's house meant we could all sit in the same room together. Here's the table before we all sat down.

I'm thankful we have enough to eat. Here's my mom and others getting the meal ready, with plenty of room to be together. Having plenty of food to eat and share is a blessing. And wine too. Can't forget the wine!



I'm thankful for the kids in my family. Mine, and others. Here's my Absent-Minded Professor (red shirt) playing with his favorite male cousins.



Mayhem playing pool with her 6 year old cousin, Hadley.



I'm thankful that my 10.5 year old Lab, Bruno, still likes to play. His health hasn't been great off and on lately, but today he was feeling good. He gutted his "baby" and was having great fun showing off.


I needed to vacuum anyway.

I'm thankful I finished the Rainbow Blankie. See? Knitting and my knitting friends are a blessing in my life.


I have woven in the ends since I took that photo!

Good thing it's finished, too, because the recipient arrived yesterday, November 30! Meet my newest great-niece, Ansley Rose. I'm thankful she arrived safely and is healthy! Congrats to my nephew Andy, his wife Rebecca, and big brother, AJ.

I'm thankful for the love and support of my family and friends.

On the Needles and Finished

Yes, I'm still here, and still plugging away. It seems like the days are so long, and I'm up to my eyeballs in coping with grief and sadness and depression, and *poof!* before I know it, an entire week, or month, has passed.

Knitting is keeping me grounded in some ways, more so than just about anything else. Well, that and keeping my chin up for my kids when they are here with me. Mayhem is in choir and orchestra this year so she has twice as many concerts. Absent-Minded Professor has discovered girls and has an on again, off again relationship with the same girlfriend that sends his moods on a rollercoaster ride!

So, finished projects?

Easy Baby Cardigan, (ravelry link) by Diane Soucy. This is going to be a gift. A quick, easy knit. I used Mirasol Hacho, a DK weight yarn.

Elf Hat, (ravelry link) by Classic Elite yarns. This pattern sells for $6 alone on Ravelry, but if you can get to a yarn shop, you can buy the whole pattern booklet (Classic Elite Yarns Toboggan) for $9.50 and get SEVEN patterns! I used Toboggan yarn in Garnet and the Merino/Alpaca blend is yummy and warm.

I also finished a pair of plain vanilla socks from Colinette Jitterbug, but they are currently in the laundry and I will not fish them out to photograph them for you!

Nearing completion is what I have affectionately dubbed the Rainbow Blankie From Hell. This will be another baby gift, and I love the way it looks, but the yarn was a disappointment. Five of the 7 balls had defects in the ways of breaks, weak spots, knots to rejoin broken spots. I was sucked in by the gorgeous, deeply saturated colors, though. I ended up having to double the yarn in order to make sure that this wouldn't fall apart. Avoid Tonic by Jojoland.



This blankie is pretty much thought up on my own, but loosely based on a blanket I saw on the Purlbee blog. The light blue border was added because I decided the blankie wasn't wide enough and so the light blue represents the sky. The border is wider on the sides. It has made for good TV knitting, though.

Once that blankie is finished, I'm on to Christmas knitting... hats, mittens, some ornaments, an e-reader cover, slippers. Good thing I have a big stash of yarn!

It's also time to get ready for Thanksgiving. What are your plans? For the first time ever that I can remember, we are having the family here, instead of two hours away, in our hometown. We'll be at my younger sister's new house. There's a lot to do between now and then.

Oh! One last thing! Remember when you're out doing your holiday shopping that the Saturday after Thanksgiving is Small Business Saturday! Shop Main Street, not Wall Street. Drop in those small, independent stores and shop local.

Back In The Saddle... Sort Of

Let's see if this thing still works. I know it's been a while, but I'm still here. Still sad, still grieving, but always knitting. You know the old saying "When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on"? Well thank God for knitting, and my knitting friends. They really have been my lifeline the past three months. And Sunday it will be three months since Dad passed.

I plan to be with knitting friends in Chicago this weekend, being happy. One friend is celebrating a birthday, and another is having a baby shower. Another knitting friend and I are heading out early Saturday and driving together.

So, what is the lovely new babe receiving from his (it's a boy, by the way) from his honorary Auntie Karen?



His very own, preppy, sweater vest. This is the Owl Baby Vest (Ravelry Link), made from Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran. I know a fellow knitter can handle hand washing.

And here it is, all ready with a little white tee, and a special book. hehehehehe

The momma of this babe is a teen librarian so I managed to purchase an autographed copy of Go The F To Sleep by Adam Mansbach. You can hear Samuel L. Jackson read the book here Book reading. If you've ever been an exhausted parent, give a listen. ;-) Bill, my kids and I have all had a great giggle more than once with this book.

What else am I knitting? I joined a KAL for Stephen West's Mystery Shawl. Here is my progress so far:

This is my first attempt at intarsia, but each row only uses 3 colors at a time, so it isn't too bad. I love the yarn I chose, too - Madelinetosh Sport. Yummmy! Slow going for me, though. All the purling on the back side really slows me down.

I also finished a pair of socks, which were started three years ago!

My gauge had changed so much that I had to change needle size for the second sock. Three years ago, I started the first sock on size 2 (US) needles, and they were loosely knit. I had to cast on the 2nd sock on size 3 (US) needles to get the same gauge!

That's all for now. I hope to be here more regularly. Really. The kids start back to school Aug. 31./Sept 1.

Oh wait!!! Big news! Absent-Minded Professor had his braces taken off this week. He's looking totally different now!

What are you up to? What are you knitting?

Next for me, along with the shawl, and ever-present pair of socks is an afghan square for a swap in which I participate.

Organizing

A local furniture store is going out of business, so Bill and I decided that it was a good time to invest in a bigger bookcase for my knitting books and supplies. Once it was delivered, I spent an afternoon moving my books from the various places around the house (I'm still finding them!) and organizing them by topic. You know those free address labels that various charities send in the mail in hopes of receiving donations? I've found that those are great to stick inside your books for identification, especially if you are one who is willing to lend books to friends!

Anyway, here's how things are looking so far on that new bookcase. It didn't take long to fill it up!



The top shelf has some tall books and pattern binders. The basket has knitting magazines in it. That jar on the left is full of Claudia Handpaint sock yarn.

The glass terrarium jar, bought at the craft store for $9.00 is full of sock yarn leftovers. The pretty square Longaberger basket is my sewing basket, which my kids got me for Mother's Day years ago.

On the bottom shelf, more baskets. The first is full of knitting notions and spare project bags. The middle basket has spare spindles for my spinning wheels. Yes, I have more than one. It's an illness. The basket on the right is full of circular needles of all sizes, mostly Addi Turbos.

Since that photo was taken, I've added something new, and have a crummy cell phone photo to show you. What do you think of my new bookends?



Like I said, it's an illness.

Signs of Life

Today I took a look around the yard and found plenty of signs of life, despite the cold, rainy spring we've had so far. April was the second rainiest we've had on record here in T-Town, with about 6.5" of rain! I still have my furnace turned on, set at about 66*, and it kicks on at night most nights.

This tulip, all by itself, is out in my yard, not in the flowerbeds! Note the fact that we're into May and it still hasn't bloomed.



Hostas and Lilies of the Valley in my shady corner of the front yard



My lilac bush... not quite ready to bloom. It will smell heavenly when it does, though.



The crabapple tree in the front yard will bloom any second now. I can tell that it's Mother's Day, or nearly, when this tree blooms.



Bill loves these tulips planted in front of the house.



And don't forget the daffodils! I don't remember anymore what variety these are, but they are so ruffly and pretty.



So where have I been? Mostly busy with family. My Dad became very sick after the holidays, and was hospitalized in early March. After an infection that nearly killed him, a major, life-changing operation, 7 weeks in the hospital and rehab center, he is finally back home. He still has stage IV cancer, of course, but is more stable and has less pain. Bill has been a lifesaver for me through it all, helping with the kids and the dogs and keeping me sane (mostly!).

My beloved knitting friends knit me a blanket, to comfort me, and wrap me in a hug. Anytime I leave home to stay at Mom & Dad's it goes with me.



The pattern is Barn Raising from the book Knitalong by Larissa Golden Brown. Each of those squares is knit from sock yarn!

Of course, I am still knitting. Most recently, I whipped up some preemie hats for donating.



And I made a baby sweater for a knitting friend who is expecting this summer.



I learned something new on that sweater; applied i-cord! It was fun, and made for such a nice, finished edge. Another friend is expecting, so I'm deciding what else to knit, along with working on finishing UFO's.

Believing in Christmas Wishes and Amazing Surprises

There was only thing I wanted this Christmas. I admit there were days it was hard to keep the faith, but the week before Christmas, Santa came into the yarn shop, and reminded me to keep on believing!



Dad made it to Christmas and my wish was granted! His cancer is very aggressive, now in his liver along with the lung and bones. The day before my family gathered together, Mom told me his hair had begun to fall out, so I started a hat for him from Berocco Ultra Alpaca. (50% wool, 50% Alpaca). I finished it at the table while we visited that day. Dad immediately put it on!



We had the opportunity to take some photos of Mom & Dad together,



and Mom and Dad with all of us sibs... we don't look alike, do we?



I know these photos will be treasures and bring us comfort sometime very soon.



All the "little" cousins were enjoying having the "grown-up" table to themselves!

As for surprises, well this beautiful man below, the love of my life, gave me an amazing surprise this Christmas. Bill pulled off an incredible surprise, which is not easy to do because I am nosey and I have incredible hearing!



The gifts were all ready for when the kids woke up.



Here's a photo of all my critter together. :-)



The first gift I opened from Bill, was a plastic pail of sand with seashells and gift certificate to Margaritaville Key West, complete with palm tree bottle opener. "Cool," I thought, "I can order a shirt online," and Bill went and fetched two bottles of Land Shark from the fridge. At 8:3oAM.





Gift bag #2 had another plastic pail full of sand, with a shovel and shells... and I had to dig for treasure. A sealed metal spice canister held an incredible surprise... flight itinerary to Florida!!!!



Sand pail number three really blew me away... See? The treasure I unearthed in the sand in that bucket had the itinerary for a Caribbean Cruise!!!!! Miami to Key West to Cozumel!!



Bill even had an ornament made to commemorate the occasion.



Think about how hard it is to find beach toys in Toledo in December!!! <3



Bill even made sure my precious baby Bruno (and Coco, too!) will be taken care of while we are gone.



Once my kids left for their Dad's, we prepared for Christmas day with Bill's boys. My two big sons surprised me with a gift certificate to Yarn Cravin', my very favorite yarn shop. I sent the entire red velvet cake (made from scratch!) home with them.

Christmas miracles happen. You just have to believe.