Knit and Crochet Show

So my sister and I went to the Knit and Crochet Show in Manchester. I finally learned to do the whole chain stitch thing in crochet. Mainly because I have recently run across a few patterns where that was called for and I don’t know how to do it. It was also to get the bag of free stuff. Free stuff=skein of coats and clark green yarn (green?), a crochet hook, an embroidery needle (plastic but still okay), an instruction booklet and a packet of patterns. The coolest part of the lesson though was that my sister, the crocheter, learned to knit and really enjoyed it.

I was good. I actually went to the show looking for Noro Daria Multi for the Daria bracelet but didn’t find it. Instead I found 10 balls of Rowan Biggy Print 259 Sherbet Dip at $2.00 a ball. Wow!! (Unfortunately, the next booth over had the Daria Multi but it was $12.50 a hank and I have since found a few websites that sell it for less.)

Yesterday, I taught my coworker how to knit. She is a natural. Her stitches look so nice and neat. She wants to make a baby blanket for her niece who is scheduled to come into this world in November.

Fighting the Battle with Single Sock Syndrome

I have finally finished sock #1 from the starter stockinette socks (on Sunday). I have been trying desperately to cast on for sock #2 but so many things have been going on.

First of all, last Tuesday I rolled over in bed and I heard a horrific snap in my neck and instantly felt pain in my shoulder that made me sick to my stomach. I couldn’t lie down and actually had to sit up to finish sleeping. A trip to the ER gave me a diagnosis of trapezius strain. I was given pain medication and told to follow up with my primary physician in a month (which I guess is how long these things typically take to clear up).

However, it continued to get worse so that yesterday I went to see my primary physician. Unfortunately, I saw his nurse practitioner who basically said I was fine, I wasn’t having muscle spasms and to continue with ibuprofen.

Well, Ryan didn’t like that diagnosis much so he took me to urgent care where I was diagnosed with acute trapezius spasms, given a different muscle relaxer, some more pain medication and the doctor called my primary to set up PT.

Thursday (the 17th) was my husband’s birthday (along with my best friend Tarna who I have known since Kindergarten). [Happy Birthday!!!!] None of us felt up to doing too much then.

Saturday my husband’s medicine for his three crushed vertebrae was stolen from his work truck so he has been in pain all week.

Sunday I made the ugliest carrot cake ever. It is my mother-in-law’s recipe. I love it because it is super easy and yummy but I forgot to flour the pan so it was difficult to get out. I am also stumped as to how she frosts the whole cake with the small amount of frosting it makes. Next time, I will flour the pans and double the cream cheese frosting recipe.

Monday Ryan got a call that one of his best friends (Lee Solomon) died from a drug overdose. I hate drugs.

So needless to say, it has been a crazy week. It is already Friday and I still haven’t started to other sock but I will do it this weekend.

My sister and I are going to the Knit and Crochet Show on Sunday. Yeah!! I love this place. Last year we got about $60 worth of free yarn so maybe we will score again this year.

Sabrina from my office wants me to start teaching her on Monday to knit so she can make her niece who is due in November a blanket. I am really excited about teaching her and I think it will be fun.

Plugging away

I am still plugging away on my one sock. I have turned the heel and am now working on the gusset. I have picked up all my stitches and it seems to be doing okay. Of course, to get to this point, I have had to unravel it partway three times and put it one lifeline. I have learned where I will put my lifelines on the second sock.

I have had a few nights of too little sleep lately. I usually have horrific night terrors but it seems like for the past week every time I try to go to sleep my brain keeps running like a movie in fast forward. It jumps from subject to subject and there is music playing in my head too. It is hard to sleep when your mind is racing so much.

I am looking forward to having Friday off for the 4th of July. Ryan is on call and it is almost a guarantee that he will get a call that someone’s air conditioner is broken. We aren’t making many plans. We would like to see the fireworks from downtown Fitchburg but I am pretty sure we can see them from our house. Other than that, I want to clean my house from one end to the other and knit.

Yesterday was my mom’s birthday. Happy Birthday Mom!!! You are the best!

I was talking to her the other day and I mentioned how bad I feel when I think about the fact that there is less than six months until Christmas and most years I have a lot more knitted gifts made and I have a list of knitted gifts for every person who gets a gift from our family. I have one gift made for my mother-in-law and that is it. I feel so bad and I know that I will be kicking myself the closer it gets to Christmas when I have to buy more gifts.

I do know that I want to make the Woolen Collectibles Afghan. It has 12 squares and each square features a different cable pattern. Of course, I have no idea what yarn I will use, or who I will give it to.

I have a great husband. He works in air conditioning and most of the jobs he has extra copper wire and tubes which can’t be used for any other job so he takes them up to the recycling center and gets some money for it. Well, while I was looking through the latest WEBS catalog, he made a proposition that after he turns in the money we will split it… he’ll keep his half for tattoos and I can keep the other half for yarn and knitting related gear. How cool is that?