Yesterday was treatment day

Yesterday was my Remicade treatment day. I love having a medically mandated few hours to do some of the things that I love best. I worked on socks for my girlfriend, did some suduko and read a bit. All while sipping pink lemonade Crystal Light. The down side is that I have tiny, tiny veins and I had to get stuck 4 times to get an IV in that did not blow. If only they could figure out a way to give the medication without the IV. LOL The most important thing is that the medication seems to be working and the reaction that I have to it is very manageable. Thank God for insurance because each treatment is $3000.

I am trying to keep up with my Lenten charity knitting goal of a dozen little caps for preemies. I started number 3 last night. For this one I am using Regia plus Cotton on size 0 Brittany needles. This is the first time that I have used a needle that small, kind of like using toothpicks. I am having fun though. The picture above is my new little hat project.

I snowed a little last night so I am going to let the other drivers melt away the snow this morning. I need to go to the post office and the supermarket today and if I still have time before my younger son gets home from school, I am going to see what my public library has in the way of knitting books.

Knit News and FOs

I have not learned how to rotate photos yet so you are stuck with these. These are fingerless gloves that I made a couple of weeks ago. Not really practical but a fun knit. I made a nice, soft washcloth with the remainder of this cotton. That will get put away for a Christmas next year. The photos are out of order but you get the point.

I joined the 40 days for others knit along at Annie Knits blog and am making premie hats for the NICU at Stony Brook University Hospital. I started Friday and I have 2 done. I will take photos of the two that I have done this week. I hope to make at least a dozen by Easter.

I had the chance to wear the socks that I posted the other day to church today. DH and I are attending Homebuilders so I also wore them to the meeting today. I made a great cake to take to the meeting today and I will post the recipe this week.

I was blessed to win some lovely sock yarn in a contest at Adventures of a Busy Mama. For a new knitter and a very, very new blogger who mostly lurks, I seem to be coming out of my shell. I am having a good time so far. Knitting bloggers are the best.

Can anyone give me any suggestions for learning how to move my photos around?

Until next time,

Daryl

Knitting Plans Foiled by Insurance Company

I have a FO to share today. The picture above is the first sock that got me dubbed "the sock lady" when I was in the hospital. These are my first finished socks and I love them mistakes and all.

Today was to be Remicade infusion day but it did not happen because the medication was not shipped by the insurance company. I was looking forward to it because I had a little, tiny project planned and was also going to read the new Knit Simple. I am feeling fine and will just have the treatment next week. I will have to plan some new knitting plans for next week. I will also get to experience what I anticipate will be beautiful new surroundings since they are moving Friday/Monday.

More FOs and news next time.

Not Exactly

Things did not turn out quite the way that I expected when I wrote my last post. At the time I thought that I would be on the mend soon. It turns out that I was admitted to the hospital the very next day. I was there for a much too long eight days. There is plenty of good news though. The most important is that I am feeling much, much better. Also in the good news department is that I got a good bit of knitting done while I was hospitalized. I finished two socks. Not a pair mind you. LOL The staff took to calling me the sock lady and even some ambulatory patients stopped by to check out my progress. Since my discharge I have finished the second sock to go with one of the two socks that I made and I am finishing the second sock for the other lonely only. I have also managed to complete two other small projects since I have been out of the hospital. Later this week I will get the photos up of the FOs.

No Second Sock Syndrome Here

I finished a sock that isn't getting frogged. This sock is by no means perfect but sometimes good enough is good enough. Since I have what I refer to as "prednisone brain", I made myself some beaded stitch makers to help the old gray matter. I made markers with numbers 1 through 4 so I know which needle is which. I also made stitch markers with and E (work even) and D (decrease) that I use when I am working on the gusset. I have also cast on for the second sock. I will share a picture of my complete pair of socks as soon as I finish the second one and I will show you my cute stitch markers also.

Yesterday was a pretty good day. Younger DS's birthday was yesterday. DH took DS and two of his friends to Stomp the Yard and then to play at Dave and Buster's to play. After that Older DS took the four of us to Houlihan's for the birthday boy's special dinner. I am very proud of my generous older DS. After dinner the obligatory presents were open and then it was bed time for all.

Today has been a little rough. Besides having a good bit (bad bit????) of belly pain today. It looks like I am not going to be able to have the new medical treatment that I had been hoping for. Well, when one door closes, another opens. I also had to miss my Tuesday night Bible study. I am sure that tomorrow will be a better day.

Hope that all of you imaginary readers have a good evening.

Almost FO

Except for a button to be sewn on, I have a FO. I finished the case for my I-pod that I posted about the other day. DH is "patiently" helping me learn how to take a digital photo and upload it to the blog. Here goes........... Not the best image but you get the general idea.

I have some more things to show you but I have to get up for church in 6 hours so they will have to wait. I have s WIP sock as well as the first beaded stitch markers that I made in an effort to keep me on track with my socks. I am determined that these are not going to the frog pond.

See you soon.

Cure for Insomnia Discovered

In my last post I mentioned that I planned to design a case for my new I-pod Nano. Instead of designing one, I ended up combining features from the MP3 and cell phone cases featured in the Winter 2006/2007 issue of KnitSimple. I whipped up the case last night. This morning I began the 40 inches of I-cord needed. I wanted to time myself to see how many inches I could knit in 1 hour. I was asleep long before the hour was up. Did I mention that I have terrible insomnia? It is looking like I need to have a “dose” of I-cord each night before bed. What exactly can I do with tons and tons of I cord?

Welcome to Tiny Tinks

I vaguely remember learning to knit as a child from my mother. She reports that she learned to knit as a child but it was never a great hobby of hers. It was just something that she knew how to do. It was pretty much the same for me. While I “knew” how to knit, I don’t think that I ever completed any projects. (Some things don’t change too much.)

Fast forward to this summer and the wonderful adventure called disability. The disability itself is another subject for another day. Anyway, I decided that it would be relaxing and productive to actually practice knitting. I started several projects along the way and have now learned that I would love to make socks and other tiny treasures. Not that I have completed projects mind you. Big Frogs should be the name of this blog rather than Tiny Tinks but it’s my blog and I will name it what I want, so there. My primary knitting activity, aside from frogging unsatisfactory projects, has been exploring the blogosphere. I am definitely hooked in the best possible way. In my pre-disability life, I was a social worker so I have always been interested in others and in addition to the knitting that bloggers share with their readers, I love the bits of their lives that come through as well. My older son would just say that I am nosey.

I am by no means a tiny girl, but for some reason I have always liked tiny things, the smaller the better. My older DS, B, bought me a new cell phone for my birthday in November that I desperately wanted. The reason that I wanted it so, was because of its tiny size. (See photo)


For Christmas, DH and younger DS, M, got together and bought me a lovely earring and necklace set that I absolutely love. (In all honesty, since this DS is 11 and unemployed as far as I know, I think that DH was the financial backer on this one.)

Also for Christmas, older DS and DH got together and bought me an I-Pod Nano. Older DS is a college student who also works part-time so he is actually in a position to contribute some cash along with great gift ideas. Can you guess what the primary attraction for me was?

My first knitting goal for this year is to design and complete a bag to carry my I-Pod in. Given my lack of paycheck and resulting limited yarn budget, it is fortuitous that I prefer making tiny treasures. I hope to have a photo of a FO to share very soon. Wish me luck.

I look forward to getting to know some of the many great knitters out there. If you happen across this post, please leave a comment to encourage a newbie knitter and a new knit blogger. I intend to come out of lurkdoom and to respond to some of the great blog entries that I run across all of the time. Come back and visit when you can.