Love Bunting

Due to my lack of recent, personal knitting and crochet, I bring you a brief tale from the Land of Odd...

When you play with yarn, you fall in love.

When you are in love with your craft, you find other yarn crafters...

...and they find other yarn crafters...

...and so on...

...and so on...

...and so on...

Eventually, you might even meet crafters with a fabric habit...

The two really are not that far removed, one from the other!

Textiles can really bring a group together...even if they are not geographically close. 

And when a bunch of crafty ladies, connected by the magic of Ravelry, find out that one of their own is in need of a little tangible love to help her through some rough stuff...well, then you get a Love Bunting!

And perhaps a Love Mobile as well!

We are an Odd little bunch, that's certain...but the love cannot be questioned. Right, Amy?

We love you, and we hope that all the hugs and hand-holds and prayers and good thoughts arrived safely with your happy hearts! Our hearts are with you, now and always!

A special THANK YOU to Julie for putting this all together and shipping it off (along with that beautiful shawl you made - gorgeousss)! Your kindness must be programmed right into your DNA, you diva, you!

Readers, is there someone in your world who could use a little love? Why not take just a few minutes this week to share a smile, a laugh, a word of encouragement, a moment of your time? Be careful, tho! You might be surprised how much love spills right back into your own lap! Love is funny that way...the only way to get more is to give some away!

Thanks for stopping by, and remember to Knit (and Love) in Good Health!

Stripe Therapy

So, I have these broken fingers, and I am starting to realize that I will need to work on flexibility at some point. Well, I can work on it, or I can wait until the doctor tells me to start thinking about physical therapy!

This is why I decided to just try to cast on a plain, self-striping sock this week. It took me two tries, and over an hour, to get those 64 stitches on the needles (DPNs, easier than magic loop for me), then it was another hour to knit the first 4 rounds of ribbing...I did the first cast on with the broken-finger (left) hand, and it was really painful. The second time around, I cheated and used the other hand...not much of a cheat really...casting on right-handed is like writing left-handed...very awkward!!! 

After the first cast-on, I stretched my hand and rearranged the stitches onto 4 needles, not too hard. Then I started knitting. At first, I used my right hand to "throw" the yarn (I am a continental knitter by nature, "picking" the yarn from my left hand. Unless I have three broken fingers on that hand.) After working across one needle, I grabbed the newly "free" needle to turn and continue...and then I saw all those loops. GASP! I had grabbed an active needle! All. Those. LOOPS!

It's a rookie mistake, one I'd made dozens of times when I was new to sock-knitting. This early in the game, it's really no big deal...you just pull it all out and cast on again, right? Right. But I'm no rookie, and my hand was so sore that this mistake made me want to cry. After a few minutes, I just pulled out attempt one, and I started over. Eventually, I had this...

Not a lot for two hours of work, but it's a start. I did some throwing, and some picking, and lots of resting. I'm crossing my fingers (the ones on my right hand) that an hour or two of this every day or two will eventually increase the mobility in these fingers, and make knitting less painful. But until my fingers are stronger, I'm limiting my time with yarn, and I'm reading again. Who has a book recommendation for Pretty?

Thanks for stopping by. While you're here, why don't you knit a row or two on that sock for me? Thanks! Oh, and Knit in Good Health!

Things I CAN do...

Things I can do with two hands:

Knit, Crochet, Spin, Type, File, wash both armpits well, Cook, Drive, lift a small child and hold her securely, Cut, Paint, Glue, hold hands in church, Bead, Count, eat any sandwich you put in front of me, wash, brush and style my hair.

Things I can do with one hand and a cast (or brace):

Type (slowly, and with many mistakes), Drive (while accidentally hitting the turn signal with the cast/brace); Eat a sandwich (with the exception of any sandwich that has peanut butter, mayonnaise, or any other sauce or condiment that might make it even slightly messy), Knit (slowly and painfully for a few stitches, then cry afterwards...but it was probably worth it), wash one armpit, and make an attempt at washing my hair.

Things I can do with the brace off, 

even though my fingers are not healed:

Take a two-handed shower (yay!), type (slowly and with much pain), sleep with both arms comfortable (although I wake often, thinking, "where's my hand?!?"), Knit (for short periods of time with less pain, like 8 rows or so on a dishcloth), walk from the couch to the bathroom and back, worry about hurting the fingers, and put the brace back on before that happens. 

Things I can do, but don't plan to do ever again,

even after my fingers are healed:

Run. 

This has been a long 4 weeks...but I do see progress. My "bad-word finger" feels just about as good as the pointer finger (which is also still sore, and not as bendy as it should be, although it was never actually broken). The other two are still hurting, and they are also the ones telling me that this post is just about over...

Thanks for stopping by and Knit in Good Health!

My Favorite Podcast...

For the contest, I asked you to tell me what you thought my favorite podcast was...and which ones you loved! Thanks for the entries...it appears that I now have some new shows to check out and get caught up on! Then I gave you the winner, and never answered the question...silly Pretty! So, here's my answer!

I listen to lots of audio and video podcasts each week (sometimes I get behind...but I usually keep up pretty well)! There's a special place in my heart for Carolyn (Girlfriends Knitting), Aimee and Darrin (Knitting in Circles), and Emily (Holding the Sticks) on the video front. As far as audio podcasts go, I cry when I miss a new episode from Kathy and Steve (Ready, Set, Knit!) or Alana (Never Not Knitting). Even if a new episode is a little delayed, I squeal with delight as I wait through whatever ad or download time comes before the actual "play," and I just love to hear and see what everyone is up to each week!  

But my very favorite podcast lately is Stockinette Zombies!

I just get such a kick out of the banter between Megan and Aimee, and Aimee's laughter reminds me of a dear friend of mine in real life! It feels like she's here with me every time I watch the show, and I just love laughing with friends, wherever I watch! 

(I promise that she is showing off a sock, not flipping the bird!)

Hand update:

I'm now in a stiff, removable brace, which I will wear for three weeks. The up-side is that I can take it off to shower and sleep (yay!). The downside is that my fingers still have a-ways to go, and a fair bit of pain remains, so the knitting is still fairly non-existent (but my queue is still growing - lol!). I guess I'll just be glad for simple washcloths for now...

Slow and steady, I can knit a simple washcloth in three or four days. :) So tell me, how are things in your queue? Have you lined up anything good for your next project?

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

Empty Corners...and a winner...

This week, we made our first trip to Ikea.

What? Oh, yes. There is a winner. Thanks for reminding me!

Anyway, we went to Ikea to do some "research" on sofas and space-saving solutions for our small home. So, we drove a couple hours and sat on more than our share of sofas, checked the storage in a couple of sofa beds, and kicked the tires...err, chairs...on a couple of dining sets. It was fun, and we even bought a new table and chairs for that tiny kitchen! It'll look like this, once we put it together!

What's that? Oh...I haven't told the winner yet? That's funny...because I know I set up the drawing...

But then I got distracted with a little knitting...just a little bit, though. Hand still hurts...but I go to the doc later this morning to find out how it's healing!

Once I put the yarn down, I couldn't help but let my mind wander back to that empty place in the kitchen...

But, since the table isn't put together yet, I distracted myself again by DRAWING A WINNER! And the winner is (drumroll please)...

Congratulations, MIkki522!!! Contact me with your mailing address, and I'll get your prize shipped out ASAP! Yayyy for Mikki522!

Now, onto the rest of the day! A winner is such a good way to start my Wednesday! Maybe I'll follow up by filling in that empty kitchen corner with a new table and chairs!

What are you looking forward to this week?