Yesterday morning about halfway down my train commute, I finished the foot of the first Marine Life sock. All 8" of it.
Last night I started the toe of the second so I could have it off the dpn's and onto the mini-circular for the commute this morning. **
Good thing too. I definitely needed something to distract me.
Today is the San Francisco Giants ticker tape parade down Market Street. They expect 1 million people to show up.
They told them to take the train.
The people listened.
The bus to the train was full - and so was the train.
Too bad my mp3 player ran out of juice, I could have benefitted from some music on the way in today.
** I'm trying something new this time with the socks. Going to do the heels at the same time so that they both match. I still have issues with heels, so if I screw up again, at least I'll do the same on both socks and no one will know but me (I have no issues with leaving mistakes). BTW, I usually don't realize I screwed up until I've cast off the first sock. Then I can't remember what I did to mess up when I do the second sock.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Making Changes, Hoping for a Win
Different things have been happening here in the Chaos lately considering health.
They mainly revolve around the fact that I am a 49 yr old woman (or as my doctor is fond of saying "you're not getting any younger"), I'm overweight and I am a 49 yr old woman.
I other words, I'm aging, I'm fat and I'm in peri-menopause.
All three are working against each other to cause each of the other issues to get worse. For the most part.
After many conversations with various health professionals, I have decided against Hormone Replacement Therapy. I have too many risk factors to feel comfortable adding that to everything else. Various health professionals agree. And we all agree that it's much too soon for that anyway.
So, now the search is on to find something that works and doesn't have any adverse effects on any of my other issues or cause new ones. My main fear is that it will set off my allergies since all this stuff is natural and made from stuff that grows and I'm pretty much allergic to most things that are green and grow.
It's proving to be quite difficult to make any improvements as the age, the weight and the pre-meno all add up to life being pretty damn rough right now. I find one thing that works for one issue and it'll cause weight gain, which will then trigger more joint aches and pains, sleepless nights, bloating, and then the other issues come back stronger and so on and so forth.
I've tried several things so far. They work for about a month or so and then abruptly stop. Today I started my third try. I've also found some exercises I may be able to handle. There is no bike riding (hot flashes cause dizziness and I've almost passed out a few times-scary!), there is no walking (the extra weight gain on top of my already overweightness has caused foot issues so there is no walking for more than 2 or 3 blocks now), and at this point, just thinking about movement usually makes my knees scream for mercy.
Wish me luck as I take another stab at the whole thing. Someday soon I will find something that works and helps alleviate all issues. I'm definitely still in it and fighting. Right now I'm not aging very gracefully, but that will change once I find something that works and I can finally see and feel some changes.
Off I go to try out those exercises I found while trolling the internet this weekend. Luckily, there are some "try it out" videos with a few exercises to do to see if your body can handle it.
I've also decided to buy a trainer so I can ride my bike inside, that should be a lot safer for me. I won't tip over and crash on the side of the road. With the trainer, my bike will be nice and stable and if I feel bad I can just get off and chill on the couch til the flash passes. Or even go lay down if that's what needs to be done.
Sigh.
They mainly revolve around the fact that I am a 49 yr old woman (or as my doctor is fond of saying "you're not getting any younger"), I'm overweight and I am a 49 yr old woman.
I other words, I'm aging, I'm fat and I'm in peri-menopause.
All three are working against each other to cause each of the other issues to get worse. For the most part.
After many conversations with various health professionals, I have decided against Hormone Replacement Therapy. I have too many risk factors to feel comfortable adding that to everything else. Various health professionals agree. And we all agree that it's much too soon for that anyway.
So, now the search is on to find something that works and doesn't have any adverse effects on any of my other issues or cause new ones. My main fear is that it will set off my allergies since all this stuff is natural and made from stuff that grows and I'm pretty much allergic to most things that are green and grow.
It's proving to be quite difficult to make any improvements as the age, the weight and the pre-meno all add up to life being pretty damn rough right now. I find one thing that works for one issue and it'll cause weight gain, which will then trigger more joint aches and pains, sleepless nights, bloating, and then the other issues come back stronger and so on and so forth.
I've tried several things so far. They work for about a month or so and then abruptly stop. Today I started my third try. I've also found some exercises I may be able to handle. There is no bike riding (hot flashes cause dizziness and I've almost passed out a few times-scary!), there is no walking (the extra weight gain on top of my already overweightness has caused foot issues so there is no walking for more than 2 or 3 blocks now), and at this point, just thinking about movement usually makes my knees scream for mercy.
Wish me luck as I take another stab at the whole thing. Someday soon I will find something that works and helps alleviate all issues. I'm definitely still in it and fighting. Right now I'm not aging very gracefully, but that will change once I find something that works and I can finally see and feel some changes.
Off I go to try out those exercises I found while trolling the internet this weekend. Luckily, there are some "try it out" videos with a few exercises to do to see if your body can handle it.
I've also decided to buy a trainer so I can ride my bike inside, that should be a lot safer for me. I won't tip over and crash on the side of the road. With the trainer, my bike will be nice and stable and if I feel bad I can just get off and chill on the couch til the flash passes. Or even go lay down if that's what needs to be done.
Sigh.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
The Commuting Beast within...
...is calmed. I am knitting on the train again. I started the Marine Life socks last night. Yay!
My commute has been hell lately and I have missed the calming effects of the needles.
By the time I get home, I'm stressed out, sore from being bounced and pushed and from trying to stand while trying not to dislocate my shoulders.
I know at least in the morning I can get in some knitting. I can knit standing up, and I have on many occasions, but the train is so crowded on the way home, I'm lucky to find enough space for me and my tote bag.
At least now I can knit when I miss the bus home while I wait for the next one to pull into the station. That's been a daily occurrence lately. Which is annoying as hell, let me tell you. I'm tired of seeing the back end of buses pulling away as I come down the steps from the train.
I should have these size 12 socks done in no time.
My commute has been hell lately and I have missed the calming effects of the needles.
By the time I get home, I'm stressed out, sore from being bounced and pushed and from trying to stand while trying not to dislocate my shoulders.
I know at least in the morning I can get in some knitting. I can knit standing up, and I have on many occasions, but the train is so crowded on the way home, I'm lucky to find enough space for me and my tote bag.
At least now I can knit when I miss the bus home while I wait for the next one to pull into the station. That's been a daily occurrence lately. Which is annoying as hell, let me tell you. I'm tired of seeing the back end of buses pulling away as I come down the steps from the train.
I should have these size 12 socks done in no time.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Another Pair of Socks
If you asked me 10 years ago if I knitted socks, I would have looked at you sideways and asked if you were out of your mind.
Then I started to get curious. After a few searches online, reading tutorials, looking at books in book shops, etc, a tutorial caught my eye. I ordered it, downloaded it and off I went.
Now, all I knit with is small needles and fingering weight yarn. If I'm not making shawls, I'm making socks. My fiber of choice is Merino wool. It's the only wool I can work with and for some reason, my hands work the best with small needles. Small circular needles in particular. The small needles and the thin yarn feel good going through my fingers. The needles just fly.
I love making socks.
In my newly culled stash, you will find mostly fingering weight yarn.
Tonight I took a shallow dive into the "new" stash and came out with this:
Knit Picks Felici, color "Marine Life"" which quickly became two "Marine Life" yarny cakes.
Won't be starting the knitting of the socks for the knitter's husband tonight. I've got a headache. Time for some ibuprofen and really need to call it a night. Everything is all set for me to start another day.
Can't wait to get those little needles going. I've missed knitting socks.
Then I started to get curious. After a few searches online, reading tutorials, looking at books in book shops, etc, a tutorial caught my eye. I ordered it, downloaded it and off I went.
Now, all I knit with is small needles and fingering weight yarn. If I'm not making shawls, I'm making socks. My fiber of choice is Merino wool. It's the only wool I can work with and for some reason, my hands work the best with small needles. Small circular needles in particular. The small needles and the thin yarn feel good going through my fingers. The needles just fly.
I love making socks.
In my newly culled stash, you will find mostly fingering weight yarn.
Tonight I took a shallow dive into the "new" stash and came out with this:
Knit Picks Felici, color "Marine Life"" which quickly became two "Marine Life" yarny cakes.
Won't be starting the knitting of the socks for the knitter's husband tonight. I've got a headache. Time for some ibuprofen and really need to call it a night. Everything is all set for me to start another day.
Can't wait to get those little needles going. I've missed knitting socks.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Soaking Inside and Out
Simple Things is now pinned out and blocking.
First it went for a soak in unscented SOAK:
And then the rain started outside. So I was serenaded with rain dripping on the metal covering of the trash chute as I pinned it down:
Another good use for Spencer's room and old bed? Undisturbed blocking space. One of these days that poor bed is going to dressed up. Soon, really soon, I promise.
This is all that is left. It will be wound up in a neat little ball and sent along with the shawl to the recipient. She's a knitter so I figured she would know what to do with it if she needed to make a repair.
Besides, there is no more room in the hanging stash, so it has to go somewhere!
Off to Ravelry to fill in the final specifics for this project, add the last few photos, and then I start a pair of socks for knitter's husband. For those who don't have access to Ravelry, here's the highlights, size 4 vintage plastic circular needle, Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Solids in Wisteria, one 420yd skein, with a bit left over. I started it in January, just now finished it after not being able to knit on it for a very long time.
Wish I would have had the socks already with me on the way home today. Nothing like sitting at the station for an hour after you 'just' missed the bus with NOTHING TO DO but sit and dwell on the fact that you 'just' missed the bus and now you are sitting on a cold metal bench waiting for the next bus to finally drag its ass into the station and oh here comes some rain.
Yeah, I definitely needed some knitting.
First it went for a soak in unscented SOAK:
And then the rain started outside. So I was serenaded with rain dripping on the metal covering of the trash chute as I pinned it down:
Another good use for Spencer's room and old bed? Undisturbed blocking space. One of these days that poor bed is going to dressed up. Soon, really soon, I promise.
This is all that is left. It will be wound up in a neat little ball and sent along with the shawl to the recipient. She's a knitter so I figured she would know what to do with it if she needed to make a repair.
Besides, there is no more room in the hanging stash, so it has to go somewhere!
Off to Ravelry to fill in the final specifics for this project, add the last few photos, and then I start a pair of socks for knitter's husband. For those who don't have access to Ravelry, here's the highlights, size 4 vintage plastic circular needle, Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Solids in Wisteria, one 420yd skein, with a bit left over. I started it in January, just now finished it after not being able to knit on it for a very long time.
Wish I would have had the socks already with me on the way home today. Nothing like sitting at the station for an hour after you 'just' missed the bus with NOTHING TO DO but sit and dwell on the fact that you 'just' missed the bus and now you are sitting on a cold metal bench waiting for the next bus to finally drag its ass into the station and oh here comes some rain.
Yeah, I definitely needed some knitting.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Crispy Leaves
Leaves on the sidewalk swirl as I walk through them
More float to the ground around me
Crunch, crunch, crunch
Fall is here.
More from the Poetry Corner
Alternate Commute Universe
An empty train pulls into the station.
It should be packed with commuters!
Am I in an alternate universe?
Who cares, I have a seat!
Monday, October 15, 2012
The Change Begins
So the work that was supposed to happen in Spencer's room a few Saturday's ago finally happened this past weekend. Well, most of it anyway.
Finally started in on washing all the linens as well. I ran out of fabric softener and then had issues with soap and not enough quarters and well, I'm lucky I got my clothes washed a few weeks ago.
There was finally a trip to Jo-Ann's for the last of the fabrics I need for the quilts I'm about to start up. Doggie quilt needed one more color, Spencer's quilt needed two more colors and I needed some cotton thread. Once I get all the tops made, I'll be back at the store for some batting and backing for Spence's and Sis's quilt. Mom had already bought the backing and the batting for Doggie's quilt, so all I needed was thread. I've got a cute idea for the Doggie quilt so hope he enjoys it when it's all said and done (like he cares, he just needs a new blankie because current blankie is about to fall into even more pieces). I'm sure Mom had just the basic quilt in mind with the pattern fabric for the top and a plain fabric for the bottom, but being a quilter, I just had to add another color, cut it all up and then put it all back together.
Sounds crazy, I know. One of these days I'll take some photos of the quilts I have here that I've made.
OK, now for the room (it's about time, right?!?).
Here we have the room "before", with the bed against one wall, all the stuff off the wall and everything else out of the room.
And here is the room "after", with the bed moved to a different wall. After of course having vacuumed the nightstand, the lamp, the mattress set, the frame, the ceiling, the wall, and the floor. Nothing like a nice cleany clean room!
Tomorrow night I vacuum the drapes, clean the window, vacuum out the closet and start bringing stuff in!
Need to get moving with getting this set up because I need to get moving on all those quilts. Can't wait to get the sewing machines all set up with organized stash shelves, and everything in its place.
It will be my first dedicated sewing/craft area ever! It will be nice to be able to leave out my machines and not have to worry about clearing off the table and putting everything away when I'm done for the day.
I've been finding a lot of small quilted items that I've got all cut out but need to be assembled, so I just might have to set something up to sell all this stuff.
Well the ones upstairs are done exercising and practically bringing down the ceiling, so it is my turn to make noise and fire up my NutriBlast blender thingy. Need to get breakfast ready for tomorrow.
Finally started in on washing all the linens as well. I ran out of fabric softener and then had issues with soap and not enough quarters and well, I'm lucky I got my clothes washed a few weeks ago.
There was finally a trip to Jo-Ann's for the last of the fabrics I need for the quilts I'm about to start up. Doggie quilt needed one more color, Spencer's quilt needed two more colors and I needed some cotton thread. Once I get all the tops made, I'll be back at the store for some batting and backing for Spence's and Sis's quilt. Mom had already bought the backing and the batting for Doggie's quilt, so all I needed was thread. I've got a cute idea for the Doggie quilt so hope he enjoys it when it's all said and done (like he cares, he just needs a new blankie because current blankie is about to fall into even more pieces). I'm sure Mom had just the basic quilt in mind with the pattern fabric for the top and a plain fabric for the bottom, but being a quilter, I just had to add another color, cut it all up and then put it all back together.
Sounds crazy, I know. One of these days I'll take some photos of the quilts I have here that I've made.
OK, now for the room (it's about time, right?!?).
Here we have the room "before", with the bed against one wall, all the stuff off the wall and everything else out of the room.
And here is the room "after", with the bed moved to a different wall. After of course having vacuumed the nightstand, the lamp, the mattress set, the frame, the ceiling, the wall, and the floor. Nothing like a nice cleany clean room!
Tomorrow night I vacuum the drapes, clean the window, vacuum out the closet and start bringing stuff in!
Need to get moving with getting this set up because I need to get moving on all those quilts. Can't wait to get the sewing machines all set up with organized stash shelves, and everything in its place.
It will be my first dedicated sewing/craft area ever! It will be nice to be able to leave out my machines and not have to worry about clearing off the table and putting everything away when I'm done for the day.
I've been finding a lot of small quilted items that I've got all cut out but need to be assembled, so I just might have to set something up to sell all this stuff.
Well the ones upstairs are done exercising and practically bringing down the ceiling, so it is my turn to make noise and fire up my NutriBlast blender thingy. Need to get breakfast ready for tomorrow.
Tuesday, October 09, 2012
Room Redeco, Step 1 - Yarn Stash Wrangling
After several false starts and just plain ignoring it, the yarny organization portion of the closet re-do in Spencer's room is almost complete. Only thing left to do is to go through all my needles and notions and knitterly what-nots. Most of those are going in a special box on the shelf, directly above the hanging thing. The rest will go in organizers I hope to make and hang off the side of the hanging thing which has some very handy dandy pockets and straps along both sides. First I need to see what I have.
Here is a photo as promised. This is all of my yarn. Yes, ALL of my yarn. If it doesn't fit in this hanging thing, it does not stay or come into the apartment. If you are a non-knitter, you will think, "Wow, that is a LOT of yarn!" If you are a knitter, you'll think, "Oh that poor thing, she's STARVING herself, absolutely STARVING herself!"
I have plenty of stash, seriously, I do. At the rate I knit, this should probably last me about 5 years. A different way to look at it is: one sweater (that's the denim yarn on the bottom shelf, yes I found it!), a dozen or so cotton cloths, 11 definite pairs of socks, 5 shawls/wraps, 1 scarf, and what could be either 6 wraps or 6 pairs of socks. Oh, and half a T.A.R.D.I.S.
Whether you are a knitter or a non-knitter, you are thinking, "Wow, that's a shitload of knitting."
(Some of you are thinking, "What the heck is a T.A.R.D.I.S." Google is your friend. Watch the Doctor and learn my friends.)
Anyway, yes, it is a LOT of knitting - especially for me because I knit when the spirit moves me, and it takes me a long time to finish something. Most of the time I start something, get pretty far in it, then decide to take it apart and make it into something else. It's just the way I knit - and I enjoy the hell out of it.
By the way, not included in the hanging stash is the sweater I already have on needles and a shawl I'm also working on...the sweater lives in my project bag next to Chair and the shawl occasionally travels with me.
Next up is the sewing stash. It's a bit too heavy for a hanging stash keeper, so I'm going to have to come up with something else. I have been looking at various web pages about organizing such things as fabric, patterns, and thread. I have shelf space, various nice boxes, and a creative mind.
Onward and upward.
Thursday, October 04, 2012
Stalled
Last Saturday I was full steam ahead on the Chaos Redecoration of Spencer's Room.
These past few days, not so much. I'm just not feeling it. The beginning of the week was soooooooooooooo hotttttttttttttttttttttttttttt. Whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine.
Seriously, it was triple digits for a few days. It is now cooler. I am much happier. The internal furnace (aka hot flash) was full blast these last few days, either brought on by the high temps or just because it felt like firing up full blast.
Loving the cooler temps because even if the inner furnace is ready to blow, I feel "normal". My cheeks may be purple or red, or one in each color, but I don't feel like I'm going to singe all the hair off of my head.
Side Note: If you see me out in public, no, I did NOT lose my mirror when putting on blush this morning. I don't wear makeup, that is my new natural coloring.
Back to being stalled. If you can't tell, I do NOT like high temps. I feel drained, listless and downright useless. Since last Saturday, it was all I could do to make sure I got back home. Therefore, nothing was done in the room. I tried several times to get some more work going on, but as far as I got was to go into the room, stand in the middle, sigh and walk out. There really isn't much left in the room to do. Just need to move the bed, vacuum that corner, clean the window, vacuum the curtains (they get dusty and the vacuum is the easiest way to deal with floor to ceiling curtains), move the bed to the other wall, move the drafting/sewing desk and chair to the room, move the big metal shelf to the room, and start putting things away.
Oh, is THAT ALL?!?
Saturday it's an early trip to Jo-Ann Fabrics for some fabric (of course), and then it's back to more linen laundry and work in the room while that is happening. I need to get that room set up as soon as possible. I've got some MAJOR projects in the works and I really need to get them going. This time around, we're working with the serger and the sewing machine. It's Chaos Quilting time. I've got three to make.
Dog-size, lap-size, and Twin XL-size.
That is all.
These past few days, not so much. I'm just not feeling it. The beginning of the week was soooooooooooooo hotttttttttttttttttttttttttttt. Whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine.
Seriously, it was triple digits for a few days. It is now cooler. I am much happier. The internal furnace (aka hot flash) was full blast these last few days, either brought on by the high temps or just because it felt like firing up full blast.
Loving the cooler temps because even if the inner furnace is ready to blow, I feel "normal". My cheeks may be purple or red, or one in each color, but I don't feel like I'm going to singe all the hair off of my head.
Side Note: If you see me out in public, no, I did NOT lose my mirror when putting on blush this morning. I don't wear makeup, that is my new natural coloring.
Back to being stalled. If you can't tell, I do NOT like high temps. I feel drained, listless and downright useless. Since last Saturday, it was all I could do to make sure I got back home. Therefore, nothing was done in the room. I tried several times to get some more work going on, but as far as I got was to go into the room, stand in the middle, sigh and walk out. There really isn't much left in the room to do. Just need to move the bed, vacuum that corner, clean the window, vacuum the curtains (they get dusty and the vacuum is the easiest way to deal with floor to ceiling curtains), move the bed to the other wall, move the drafting/sewing desk and chair to the room, move the big metal shelf to the room, and start putting things away.
Oh, is THAT ALL?!?
Saturday it's an early trip to Jo-Ann Fabrics for some fabric (of course), and then it's back to more linen laundry and work in the room while that is happening. I need to get that room set up as soon as possible. I've got some MAJOR projects in the works and I really need to get them going. This time around, we're working with the serger and the sewing machine. It's Chaos Quilting time. I've got three to make.
Dog-size, lap-size, and Twin XL-size.
That is all.
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