And so your back...

From outerspace... Okay, we're going to give this blog another go...now that (I think) I get how to post pictures, because let's face it, a blog without pics is Bo-ring.

It's been a crazy few months, what with the holidays, and my uterus getting in the way of most things (more on that later)..but I still have managed to knit, and yes my friends I have pics to prove it...Exhibit 1:


Pattern: Cropped Cable Cardigan (#14)
Source: Vogueknitting Fall 2005
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool Ease Chunky in Nantucket

While everyone said this pattern sucked, I kind of just rolled with it as suggested by Tipper, and it came out pretty great. Only the stupid button hole came out wacky, but I plan to fix that soon. Didn't have time before gifting it to my bro's girlfriend...can't figure out if she liked it, but I thought it looked great on her. Sorry the picture sucks, had to take it at about 11pm the night before Christmas Eve.

I also made 14, count 'em 14 Reverse Bloom Washcloths from Weekend Knitting using 14 different colors of the suggested Crystal Palace chenille yarn. I loved the way they came out (sorry, no pic) and I gifted them to all my staff with a big bar of soap and body lotion. No one oohed and aahed, but as stated many times before, if you gift to non-knitters, that's the risk you take!

I have also made two sweaters for my friend's twins. The boy's is the Knitted Bend it Like Baby Soccer Sweater from Lion Brand and the girl's is a free crocheted pattern I found on www.crochetme.com. Both use homespun, and I hereby do solemnly swear not to use this crappy yarn anymore. Mom won't notice or care, so I'm going with it...plus, she hasn't made time to see me to get these gifts, so it's part of her punishment.


I have two works currently in progress with deadlines of Jan 17 and 22nd respectively. Two baby showers for two baby boys. For my friend at work, I am using my favorite cheesy baby pattern called "Pixie Cables" from the Red Heart pamphlet called Soft & Sweet. I am going nuts and doing my first modification to make it a pullover instead of a cardigan and I am using Baby Soft yarn which is not too bad. I am about 20% done (left pic). For my other friend, I splurged and bought Zara yarn in bright blue (#1500) to make a ribbed pullover (right pic) from Style your own Kids' Knits...I'm a little skeptical about this one, as this book seems to have a few errors. I switch off between these two on my daily commute and evening tv watching. BTW, bought the yarn at "Gotta Knit" in NYC and despite bad reviews I've read, they were very helpful!


Okay, so after these are finished, then what? Well, take a look at this:

On the right is my first purchase from Knitpicks. I have four skeins of Gossamer in Sweat Peas that I bought to make the Faroese Peaks Shawl, but upon further consideration, it is kind of boring. I think I will use it to make the Leaf Lace Shawl since everyone is raving about it. This is for a very generous friend at work who will completely appreciate it, so I want it to be perfect. I will start as soon as that pattern gets here from Elann (why I had to pay as much for shipping as for the pattern I will never know, but couldn't find it anywhere else.)There is also two skeins of Shimmer in Turquoise Splendor tagged for Ene's scarf from Scarf Style to make for myself. It's more variegated than I thought it would be, and I am afraid it will take away from the pretty pattern, so maybe this will be a leaf lace something or other too. Next is 5 skeins of Elegance in Wild Rose. I LOVE this color, and can't wait to make myself a Forbes Forest scarf (also from Scarf Style). On the far left are 4 skeins of Debbie Bliss merino dk in charcoal gray (225301) that I will make an Interlocking Balloons scarf for DH. (Can you tell I really like Scarf Style??). DH almost lost his head when he dared tell me he planned on wearing this ratty old flannel scarf since it is getting cold now. Are you kidding?? You just have to ASK for a scarf and you'll get one silly rabbit...despite calling me "granny" and "nerd" when I knit. So I am "surprising" him with this scarf, based on his request of 10" x 60", gray and "cabley".

So that's what's on the knitting horizon for me...I just have to fit in one more baby sweater for my cousin who is having a boy in May. Need a really nice pattern for that one...will have to hunt for one. When we last left our daring heroin, she was crocheting a tablecloth (on hold) and a Pixie Cable sweater in pink (on hold)..no telling when they'll resurrect themselves, now that I am more experienced.

On a personal note...getting back to my uterus (if you are here for knitting content only, proceed to next blog). DH and I have been struggling with having a baby for the last 3 years. To complicate normal infertility problems, I was diagnosed with very early stage endometrial cancer. Weirdly enough, my oncologist and infertility doc still think there is a possibility I can get pregnant, as other women with a similar issue have children. I have gone through 2 IVF cycles with no success and in between cycles, the cancer starts to come back, so I have to take 3 months in between to take medication and have a biopsy. We are in the early stages of starting our 3rd cycle. We also have started the adoption process, and have not submitted all our paper work only because of the holidays and doctor appointments. I think this will be the last cycle we try, as it is too much emotionally to deal with (I thought the shots would be bad but they were NOTHING compared to wildly swinging hormone levels...can't believe my husband is still with me!). We are fine with adopting, so we will continue to pursue that route. There is a fabulous orphanage in Columbia, and we have personal connections that are helping us through it. So that's my story. TMI, some would say, but hey, you have to vent somewhere. Not looking for sympathy either, these are the cards I have been dealt, and we will deal with it. I have many other blessings to be thankful for, including my new found talent to knit!!

Happy New Year to all, and may it be a year full of good fortune, health and happiness, and serious yarn bargains!