Thursday, August 28, 2008

Lucky

***  I wrote this post for my diabetes blog, so some of the terms may not be familiar (like bolus, endo, etc).  But it's about something very important that is going on in my life right now, so I wanted to share it here too.  Thanks for reading. ***

I have diabetes . . . and I'm lucky.

I count and weight and measure . . . and I'm lucky.

I prick and jab and bleed . . . and I'm lucky.

I inject and pump and bolus . . . and I'm lucky.

I walk and dance and (occasionally) lift some weights . . . and I'm lucky.

I'm lucky because I have options. I have choices. Yes, sometimes I slip. Other times, I make all the best choices and the numbers are still off. But that's okay. I can correct . . . adjust . . . make my next choice a better one.

My uncle has been battling cancer. He's had multiple surgeries, chemo, treatments and procedures. Last week the doctors said it still isn't working. He is out of options. There are no more choices. There is nothing left to try. No reason left to fight.

So today, I know I am lucky. I'll go to my endo appointment tomorrow. If my A1C doesn't meet my secret expectation of well under 6.5, I won't let myself get upset this time. I'll be thankful for my choices and thankful for my options. I'll remember how lucky I am . . . and fight some more.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Which do I pick . . . .

When I decided I was going to knit my February Lady Sweater, one of the most common questions I got was "What buttons are you going to use?" Finding buttons for a project is very exciting, and the plain garter stitch yoke of the February Lady Sweater is great for showcasing special buttons. The pattern also calls for fairly large buttons - which again gives you great options for getting something special.

However, this also creates quite a problem. You see, there are so many special buttons out there, it's almost impossible to choose. I spent a good amount of time on Etsy, and have narrowed my selection down to some offerings from one Etsy seller, Muddy Muse Pottery. The problem is, I like three sets of buttons. If money were no object, I would gladly order all three sets! They are beautiful and I would be thrilled to stash them away for future projects. But alas, it's not to be. I must pick one and only one set. Can you help me chose?

First there are these. They will complement the sweater nicely, without standing out too much. I'd also have 9 spare buttons - which would be cool!

But for something with more contrast, these green buttons would be fabulous. The color would work really well with my yarn, and I'd still have one spare button for emergencies. They are also the most economical of the three choices.

But then there are these. The pattern on them is so pretty, and the oblong shape is so unique. They are the most expensive of the three, but if they would really work best then they'd be worth the investment. And I'd have 5 buttons left over for other things.

How do I pick??? HELP!!!!! Which would you chose? The first? The second? The third? Or something else entirely? HELP!!!!!

*** ETA: Duh, we can do polls now!! I put a poll in my sidebar if you want to vote there. ***

Monday, August 18, 2008

Summer is great . . . .

but my new favorite month?


Why, it's February, of course!!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Happy blogaversary to me!!


Three years ago today, I did my very first blog post.

What is there to say that hasn't already been said before?

I love working on my blog, because I love fiddling with coding and doing web stuff. I love my blog for the memories it holds. I love being able to scroll through posts and remember what I was doing (both in knitting and in life) at any point over the last three years.

But most of all, I love the friends I have made through blogging. Over the past three years, I've made friends who've been just as important (if not more important) than friends I know in "real life". Great friends who are so supportive and who share in my life - and allow me the honor of sharing in their's. Over three years, some friends have faded away - and although that always makes me sad, I'm never sad for long. Because before you know it, another wonderful friend has come along who means just as much.

So thank you, my friends, for sticking with me and my little blog. I may not post as much as I used to - but I'm not going anywhere. Thanks to your support and friendship, my blog and I are here to stay for another three years (at least)!

Monday, August 11, 2008

Love Letter to a Sweater . . .

Dear Sweater:

Your yarn was bought on-line last year, at a great bargain, with another pattern in mind. It sat and sat and sat in the stash, because I wasn't sure I could really knit a wearable sweater.

Then, in January, things started to get bad. I was yearning for a simple knit. Something stockinette, something in the round. I remembered a pattern I had picked up over a year ago (#9726), at a LYS sale. It was the perfect match, and you were finally begun.

I knit on you when I was too upset to concentrate on anything. I knit through worried tears while Charlie was sick. And I knit through tons of sorrowful tears when Charlie was gone. Then, the weather started to get warm, and I put you aside.

But one day, I decided the time had come to get you finished. I did enjoy the knitting, the simple stockinette, round and round, soothing and mindless. I tried you on often, and wasn't sure you'd fit. (After all, I did a big no-no and cast you on without even knitting a gauge swatch.) But I forged ahead, even in humid weather not conducive to knitting wool.

At long last, you were off the needles. I ignored you for a while, then finally worked up the courage to block you. I left you alone for the several days it took you to dry. And then, I tried you on.

BLISS . . . . PURE BLISS!!! Blocking worked it's magic, and you are soft and snuggly. You are no longer too tight - you have the loose boxy fit I was hoping for in a sweater planned for lounging around a cold house this winter. To my surprise, I think I might even wear you out - your soft heathery gray will be a perfect casual compliment to a nice pair of jeans on the weekends.

I apologize, dear sweater, for ever doubting you. I apologize for the crappy pictures with this letter, as they are not worthy of your gorgeousness. You are much more flattering than these shlumpy pictures, taken on a rainy day, suggest. Thank you for the pleasure of knitting you, dear Comfort Sweater. Thank you for helping me though some hard times.

And thank you for boosting my sweater knitting confidence so much that I've already cast on a lady friend for you.

Love and Kisses,
Mostly Self-Taught Knitter

Monday, August 04, 2008

Have you seen this commerical?


All I can think is: too bad Mary isn't a knitter. Put some needles and a few skeins of yarn in the box and she'd be more than happy to wait there for a week! Am I right?

Friday, August 01, 2008

Vacation Yarn P*rn - The Lace-weight

You've seen the "group picture" of the yarn that followed me home from vacation. How about a closer look? It was all sock yarn, except for one lonely skein of lace-weight. I found it at the first yarn store we visited, Knitting Sisters. It is a beautiful store, bright and spacious, and filled with the most delicious yarn. It was hard to choose. Until I spied a skein of lace-weight that reminded me of a purple iris.

The colors are deeper than my picture shows - some day I need to learn either how to take a better picture or how to do a better job color correcting. Anyway, the yarn is by Prism Yarn. The colorway is actually called Tumbleweed, and a more accurate picture is here.

I'd never heard of Prism Yarn before, and it was hard to choose just one skein because the colorways are so gorgeous. Just take a look! And that's just their lace-weight yarn. In the end, I couldn't resist the purples, greens and browns in this skein. It's got a generous 1460 yards, so I should have enough for any pattern I choose. Suggestions anyone?