Let it Snow!

Hooray! Today it snowed! Many schools had 2-hour delays this morning, and some even closed. My district had a 2 hour delay, but it was planned weeks ago for teacher in-service. No big deal. But it snowed! And it stuck!

Today I spent part of the day on the phone jumping through, hopefully, the last of the hoops thrown out in front of my by my medical insurance company to get the meds I need for my wrist pain. My doc had given samples of an arthritis drug that had been helping. Before that I took an anti-inflammatory that didn't do much. The arthritis drug and the wrist braces together really helped me a great deal. The samples ran out and my doc wrote an Rx for the med. The insurance company kicked it back saying they wouldn't pay it unless another anti-inflammatory was also tried for at least 30 days. GRRRRRR! So, the med that helped was stopped and I started taking another med the beginning of November. That's when all hell broke loose. That med was worthless. Almost no knitting all could happen. I was doing well to get through my day without dropping dishes, hairbrushes, toothbrushes, purse, keys. The doc will be working tomorrow to get the arthritis drug approved so I can pick it up in the next day or two. While I can type pretty proficiently with the braces on, knitting and velcro straps just aren't compatible. I need that medicine! It's not like I'm wanting something addictive like oxycontin. Sheesh!

I have a busy weekend planned. Saturday the guys are coming to clean my woodstove and chimney. Saturday night I'm leaving home so that my best friend K2 and I can get an early start to The Longaberger Homestead Sunday morning. Our annual pilgrimage is late this year!

In case you never thought about it, these baskets are great for storing yarn in, especially the ones with lids! Lots and lots of goodies at Longaberger.

Pictures from that trip, and Oma's birthday celebration will fill a post, I'm sure. K2 and I always find mischief. We have ever since third grade when we first met.

I Gotta Knit!!!

There seems to be a plethora of knitting patterns that are calling to me right now, not to mention to Mayhem and The Absent-Minded Professor.

Take the Brain Monster Hat for example. Both kids love this one! Mayhem has requested that hers be pink or purple. A-MP has assured me he would indeed wear it, but has not decided upon a color. He immediately thought of the joke about "a brain sucker starving to death" when he saw the pattern.

After seeing The Secret Knitter start this ribbed beanie (pdf), I really have been itching (OK, given recent events, maybe that was a poor choice of words!) to make a few to donate and stash away for Christmas. This hat has "college kid" written all over it.

The pattern for the felted clogs from Fiber Trends is still sitting at home, staring at me, taunting me. I have two friends who are finishing these right now, and are ready to felt their clogs. Thanks, girls. You know who you are.

Here's the WIP update: I am slowly working on a simple stockinette pair of socks for me. They stay in the car, mostly, so I am not getting very far. Last night I started on the border for the granny square afghan. Yes, the border!!! It WILL become a Finished Object (FO) this weekend, then Cobblestone is coming back out of the knitting bag. Everything goes slowly with the wrist pain (which is manageable most days with meds and the wrist braces), and I get frustrated at times with my seemingly lack of progress.

Thank you to all of you who had suggestions about the hives! I took an allergy pill (Rx) before school today and so far so good. I really didn't want to keep itching! Besides, this weekend I have plans to make some homemade oatmeal raisin cookies. yummmmmmmmm

Friends, Fashion Statement... and yarn

First of all, thank you. Thank you to those of you who sent emails and left comments with good wishes for my friend. Things are getting better, but it's going to take time. Your good thoughts and energy and prayers are so appreciated! A special thank you goes to those of you who let me know that you are available to *me* day or night if I should ever be in need. It was a time for my friend to Find Out Who Your Friends Are.


Onward...

Earlier this month, Sarah Lou went to Stitches Midwest, in Chicago, and had the great pleasure in partaking in all of the yarny goodness there. Being a thoughtful and generous friend, she brought me this beautiful gift.

"My Stash is Bigger than Yours"

That's the bracelet I want to wear. Instead, I am wearing this. X2. And for the record, Sarah's stash is bigger!

Quite the fashion statement, no?

But not all is bleak. There is sock yarn. Yummy sock yarn. The Loopy Ewe recently celebrated its one year anniversary. What's a FIRST anniversary without a celebration? Of course, there was a special yarn to commemorate the event. Of course, I had to have some! "Happy Anniversary to Ewe" (top) is shown with two other wonderful purchases.

And, purely out of yarn envy, because Sarah got some at Stitches, I had to buy some Socks That Rock from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. That's "Pebble Beach" and "Foofaraw."

Last night at Yarn Haven was too funny to even try to describe. Somehow we ended up on the topic of shaving monkey butts. I blame Becky and Sarah. The baby socks are almost finished. I have one chemo cap nearing completion. Last night I received a free ball of Plymouth Bamboo to make another.

D-Day

D is for Doctor.

That's where I've been today. I had an appointment this morning to discuss the wrist pain that has been greatly interfering with my knitting time. My doctor feels that my symptoms are indicative of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. That isn't great news, but it didn't surprise me. I have a treatment plan for the next month that includes a combination of meds, lovely (note of sarcasm) wrist splints that are 8" tall and reduced knitting. My knitting has already been reduced!

The splints have to be worn nightly while sleeping, while using the computer, and while knitting. Wisely, my doc did not say "no knitting at all." He knows that I used knitting to replace eating while stressed. Neither of us want me to put back 70 lbs. that have been lost!

We'll decide in a month if further tests (like an EMG) are necessary or if the current treatment will continue. Surgery may be in my future, but for now, I'll stick with this treatment plan and not even think about that! The things I tried on my own before seeing the doc were all the right things to do, and the doc appreciated the time I took to use a common-sense approach. It saved us both time in the long run.

In knitting news, my swirl sock is at the point of starting the gussett, and my Log Cabin afghan has been brought out of hiding. I will still knit, you know. Socks may have to take a hiatus as I'm finding little needles harder to manage with the numbness in my fingers. I am looking at yarn options to make Cobblestone for Buddy B... leaning toward Cascade 220 superwash. Can someone help me get him moving on choosing a color?! I jokingly threatened to drag him into Yarn Haven with me if he doesn't help out, but since he often shows interest in what I'm making, it really wouldn't be a punishment, and the shop wouldn't intimidate him.