Insert Needle As If To Knit...

Here a few snapshots from my revolving knitting scrapbook:

A scene from a lovely September day.
Getting my mandatory vitamin D, Doctor's Orders!

Here is a minor knitting calamity on my StitchDiva Endless Cardi Shawl. At 347 stitches per row, my already over crowded circ snapped!

Stitches flew everywhere, there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth and sweat and cursing and and and....
But I survived and so has the project.

 More photos as it develops and as better photo opportunities present themselves. I'll try not to bore you with project-on-the-needles-scrunched-beyond-recognition-against-the-backdrop-of-a-bedspread-or-the-carpet photos.

Here is my finally completed Misti Alpaca Lace Shawl (seen in progress at the top of this post). I started this project as a stress reliever back in college. I didn't use a pattern, it was just a simple increase at the edges, 2 stitch repeat. I just wanted something luscious that let the colors of the yarn sing. I think I accomplished that in spades. This photo does not do the color or the loft of the fabric any justice. I promise a more satisfying photo soon. I have been wearing the shawl everywhere...I love it.

Beans Beans, the Magical Fruit

Here on the homestead the nights are turning colder and the leaves are changing colors so that means Harvest Time! Today I harvested the heirloom beans. We have 3 varieties, all from Seed Savers Exchange; Kentucky Wonder Pole, Cranberry, and my favorite, the Christmas Lima Bean. You may recognize the Christmas Lima from the cover of the book Animal Vegetable, Miracle by, my favorite author, Barbara Kingsolver. If you have not read this book, I highly recommend that you put it at the top of your reading list.

An important lesson was learned: if the pod looks beautiful and rich and vibrant then the bean is immature. If the pod looks like cat-yak, there is one sexy bean inside.

I haven't quite decided what to cook with the beans. Right now I am just admiring them in a cobalt bowl on my kitchen table. Truthfully, I find the look of them satisfying enough all on their own.

Surgery Update (No Photos, I promise)

Warning

If you do not want to hear about my insides, kindly disregard this post.

The surgery was a success! That being said, I feel like I survived the most punishing ab-bootcamp ever invented by the U.S. armed forces and have nothing to show for it but 4 small stab wounds. They removed my gallbladder laprascopically, through a 2 inch incision in my belly button and made 3 more small incisions around my abs for sport. You can watch a video filmed by my doctor if you dare. Turns out, not only was the duct blocked by a very large gallstone, but I had several more small stones in there too. It was all so infected that it had adhered in a whole bunch of places not only to my liver, but also to my stomach. This stinking gallbladder had actually pulled my stomach out of place! I will not even describe to you what they found inside the thing, but my doctor was pretty shocked. Apparently I really should have been so jaundiced that I glowed in the dark for the last year or two. I guess I am so pale that nobody would have noticed!

I spent one very, very long sleepless night in the hospital. I gave the hospital staff quite a scare when I had a bad reaction to the anesthesia several hours after I woke up. Turns out that because I am such a good girl (I don't smoke, drink, eat a lot of processed food, take medications etc) my body could not process all the chemicals from the surgery. I suddenly couldn't breath, started convulsing, and lost feeling in my arms and legs. They took an emergency EKG that showed a heart arrhythmia. That was petrifying, but it passed. My nurse, who has been in the field for nearly 15 years, said that I was the only time she ever saw anyone have that reaction.

After a day, my mom took me back to her house I spent two days being a lump on her couch. Each day I have been getting a little stronger. Last night I was well enough to come back to Grandma's house and sleep in my own bed and see my bunny-babies. Now I am sitting around, hoping people will visit me. I not supposed to leave the house or get out of bed much until my follow up appointment on Wed.

When all is said and done, I do have the gallstone in a little jar. I think I should make a necklace...

Wish Me Luck

MYSTERY SOLVED!

After several years of mysterious and debilitating nocturnal pain attacks I have finally gotten a diagnosis. Turns out I have at least 1 inch-wide gallstone lodged in some sort of duct near my liver. Tomorrow I am going to have my Gallbladder removed. I will be in the hospital for only one night (hopefully) and then will be stuck in bed for about a week. Wish me luck.

In the mean time, here is a photo of my bunny-girls discussing important bunny issues.

So what are you knitting, knitter!?

For what was originally intended to be a knitting blog, I have not been talking much about knitting. That being said, I have been working away on the AMAIZing Hug Wrap from SouthWest Trading Co. I'm making it to contribute to my fashion event! I'm making it in AMAIZing, of course. It is a fabulous yarn made entirely of corn (hence the name, get it?). The yarn is completely machine washable and dryable, making it ideal for baby garments or any other project where ease of care is important. The pattern itself would make an EXCELLENT knit night project because is mostly stockinette with a garter border. I can knit away while making phone calls, chatting with my knit friends, watching TV, etc. There is a cute little key-hole tie in the front, adding a pleasant puzzle to make the project more engaging. Photos to follow, I'm working at Sister Arts all week and forgot my camera today.

Moving and and Very Special Bunday!

After much packing and sorting and arranging and then much more lifting and carrying and negotiating and straining and rearranging and nailbiting, I have completed my move from my condo downtown to my grandmother's house in the north suburbs.

It took me 3 days and nearly all of my sanity (more due to arguing with condo management than actual moving issues). I also went back after most of the moving was completed to fix the place up for my renter. I now have a modern circuit breaker instead of running the entire place on a single 15 amp fuse (that means not having to turn off the TV to run the microwave, or turning off everything to run the AC). I also had brand new carpet installed and painted over all my fun accent walls. Here's the house looking rather quirk-less and empty.

I have set up my bedroom to my liking at grandma's house. I still have a lot of unpacking and rearranging to do before she returns from Ireland this week. I hope she is ok with it, but I have bun-proofed my room such that my girls can run around freely in there when I'm home. Even safer than my condo was for them. I let them run loose a lot this weekend because it was there Very First Birthday!! Happy Birthday Scarf and Sweater! DC and I bought them lots of new toys and fawned over them quite a lot. I even made them a special treat, banana slices and pellets (Yum?)



Here they are exploring our new room.

Sunday (no) Bunday

So it is Sunday, but I have no bunnies today! I have boarded them at Darling Christopher's while I move. They get crazed when I so much as move a kitchen chair. It would simply be too hard on them to see me pushing around all these boxes and furniture. I let them have one last run around the living room and then I moved them out for good. They put up quite a fight about leaving, I think they almost knew what was going on. I know they are in good hands with DC, probably getting too many raisins, but that's ok. I can't wait to get them all settled in at Grandma's. My mom is coming over tomorrow to help me with a final packing up. So for now, only 2 more nights in my own home.