Knit crazy

Today is Friday 28/9/12 and I have Bachs Concerto for Harpsichord and String in F Minor playing while I type.
I have a lot to say today.
First the podcasts I listen to are called Knitting Brooklyn, 2 Knit Lit Chicks,  and Robinznest.
Knitting Brooklyn is by a lady called Jessica, she's just great, I'm taking part in her festive swap, basically you knit, crochet, sew etc something your swap buddy would like to receive as a gift in the holiday season. Nothing specific other than say coasters as a description. Then you send it off with a little goody to your swap buddy. I think it's a lovely idea.
2 Knit Lit Chicks last episode was good too, although i tried to get into crime novels when i was a teen and just not my cup of tea, give me romance (clean) or historical drama any day. I am taking part in their shawl KAL. My yarn for it however was still in Phoenix, AZ this morning when i tracked it. I'll just have to catch up i guess. Oh well, gives me time to knit a hat or two for Hats for Halo. They need people to knit hats for people going through chemo. As although i'm not going through Chemo, my hairloss is approx 60% now. I daren't not wear a hat. Undiagnosed reasons.
Robinznest hasn't podcast again yet, :-(

My health is still deteriorating, I must admit i'm finding it harder to cope each day, I am gradually being shut out by my family. It's not intentional on their part obviously, but when you can't play, eat, bath and smile with your family as expected it kinda happens. It's just as hard for them my being ill all the time. I used to be healthy and fun and loved being a mummy. After my youngest was born in 2009 my health started struggling. M.E, Fibromyalgia, CFS, IBS, Nausea, Chronic constipation, food allergies, Asthma, Renaulds disease, Oedema and then last Christmas day i almost passed out. I had a blocked intestine. I dramatically lost weight over two weeks asI was so ill. 2 stone / 28lbs / 11kgs. Over the last six months i have managed to gain around 5kg, but I'm still tiny and feel very frail. I only weigh 44 Kg now. My chill blains are excruciating at the moment, at last count i have 27 on my hands alone. The latest is my consultant wants to put me out and introduce a dye directly into my small intestine, bring me round, then wait a few hours and do a CT. Let's pray it shows up what's wrong.

Happy Place Time, Knitting Projects
 I invested in some Addi Click Lace needles. I Love them. I used them for a shawl and you'd think the join would snag the yarn but nope, smooth as satin.
Niamhs mittens are done now, I did the cuffs a different colour to the main body.

 

Janes Shawl is the Mini Mochi Shawlette on Ravelry, I finished the edging on that this morning. I really like how it looks.

Baby 4 x 4 Sweater is another pattern from Ravelry. You basically knit lots of squares diagonally and sewthem up to make a sweater. Very cute!

Daves Hat is now on the decreases so i'll take a photo when it's finished.

Niamhs socks are now 75% done, just the foot left of one, so a few hours left but close.

Niamhs Fairy is now finished, I have to stitch all the pieces together and stuff her but as it's for Christmas I have a while yet.

Preggers  is the top I've started for my friend for Christmas, From my pet name for it you can tell it's a maternity top. Except I've added beading to it as she love them. This top when finished is suitable for maternity and afterwards. The beading will help it hang nicely.

 

Baby Booties are also being knitted as i have two pregnant friends.

Keiras Lacey Hat  is about a third done too now. It's so pretty!!! I can't wait to finish it and post a photo. It goes through various pale shades of pink and purple.

Finally Mermaid Tail is a pattern i wrote. I admit i was asking for grief when i was knitting it up. I chose to work with 1.25mm double point needles and crochet thread. It's for a popular doll every little girly girl has heard of. I've also designed one to be worn as an apron style for young girls. Both patterns will be written out on my next blog.

I hope everyone has a pleasant weekend and does something fun or creative. I will be knitting away in my garden under my gazebo as usual eating cake and crumpets.
Take care Elspeth

Affirmation that I'm a knitter !!!

So today is thursday 20th September 2012 and it's our 10th wedding anniversary, yey us!!!

My darling Dave ordered me some Signature needles, size 4mm, twist end, stilleto tip. However, Signature are re doing the 4mm needles across their range so they were delayed and didn't arrive in time for today. Disapointed but still very excited that he knows quality stuff.
My ChiaoGoo Blue flower set did come today however. They're so pretty, see...

I've been good and not bought these until now but i couldn't resist any longer. The set has 4mm, 4.5mm, 5mm, 5.5mm & 6mm 23cm single pointed needles. Great for all the smaller projects i want to do. Or the projects in a solid colour so i'll constantly get flashes of blue flowers showing through as if to say hello and make me smile.

The 18th was my mother in laws birthday, and as she is a Harry Potter fan, I decided to make her the Mandrake from the film. She loved it and it's sat in a plant pot by her fireplace. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mandrake-plant

I also got another new knitting pattern book through today, it's called 'Fairy Tale Knits' by Alison Stewart-Guinee. I love this book to pieces. All the patterns in it are very cute and i'm going to struggle not to want to knit all the girls items for my two younger daughters. I did promise Niamh my youngest that i'd knit her the 'Snow Queen' coat. So i shall, she's 3.5years old so i have a while to keep my promise before she's too big for it.

I'm getting into knitting shawls at the moment too, a friend of ours is rather ill so i made her a healing/prayer shawl in her favourite colours and it's inspired me to make more, so i made another one for another friend who's also very ill and she loved it. the second one took just under two weeks around other projects and was a suprise for her. I won't name names but she really liked it. As do I.

 

Ok so, I've started listening to Podcasts again recently.

2 Knit Lit Chicks, this is just brilliant, they are a mother and daughter who talk about Knit alongs, their current knitting projects, charity projects, books they're reading or listening to and other interesting stuff not always related to knitting either. I love it as it's great to see what they're doing on Ravelry and sample the books on audible. Barb and Tracie are brilliant. I'm doing their gradiant colour shawl KAL. More on that next time.

Knitting Brooklyn, this lady is so good to listen to. Not just because what she talks about is fascinating, like sheep breeding for different fibre types and what she's working on, but her voice is so soothing that on days like today when my health is dreadful, I just listen to her show and feel good about sharing knitting with her. Jessica I sense is someone who really helps people whose lives cross with hers just by being herself.

Robinznest, I started listening to this after i heard about it through the  Knit Lit Chicks podcast. Robin is very endearing and i wish i knew her because she is so positive about everything in her life. From the animals on her farm, to how much she loves her grandkids to the projects she's working on.

I'm enjoying listening and can'twait to see where her journey takes us.

Well i hope you all have a lovely week and i'll blog again soon with what i've been creating and what inspired me.

Take care

Elspeth

 

 

 

Newness

Hi all,
So, health news first.
I had a second opinion consultant yesterday and came away a lot more satisfied for several reasons.
1: He agrees with us that I don't have an eating disorder,
2: He agrees it is not psychological,
3: He's arranging for me to have a full MRI.
So relieved, however he did warn me that because nothing had shown up on my previous investigations either side of my small intestine, that they might find something bad there and just to be warned. Also that it is going to be a long and painful road to recovery whatever is wrong with me. So, after crying a little Dave and I came home to the girls and our wonderful friend who'd looked after them and did some winding down.

Today has been productive knitting wise.
First I finished Kims vest.

Secondly I've picked up Niamhs Heart jumper again because otherwise she'll have grown out of it before i've finished.
Thirdly we went up to Heavenly Yarns and bought more yarn, the last 3 skeins for Stephi and Shawns baby blanket, three more balls of Lang yarn towards my shrug/cardi.
Also I bought another ball of Katia Aztecato make Dave another hat.

This evening having finally caught up on the podcasts by 2 Knit Lit Chicks, I've joined their Shawl KAL starting on 1/10/12. I'm making a wavy shawl using this purple yarn. It's called: Goth Girls Revenge Shadow Gradiant Fingering.

Very me hey!!!

So i'll let you know how i get on.

Contemplation

I'm finding it hard at the moment to remind myself to be positive about anything that isn't knitting related. My health is dire and i failed miserably to do my part in order to get a full ct done. (insert angry miserable sobbing) It has left mewondering if this is how my life will be from now on. Basically i take a lot of medication so i can eat after my bowel shut down on CHRISTMAS DAY last year. I lost 2 stone (28lb's) in about two weeks because i could only drink before 8am ish and couldn't eat a thing. I got so ill that my GP will only do home visits so i don't catch anything that i'm not strong enough to fight off. After several (let's say over 30) hopital visits and tests, they still don't know what's wrong. GRRRR. I'm now living on gluten, dairy and wheat free crumpets with margarine and golden syrup and every other morning my dear Dave is up before me cooking me a pear sponge cake to also eat with golden syrup. I have tea with soya milk and sugar and that's all i eat or drink. Those who know me, know this is torture as i love roast dinners and lasagne and fruit crumble etc. One day they'll fix me and i will be able to start eating proper food again.

I'm currently knitting a huge number of projects, two are prayer / healing shawls for two different friends. One has M.E and the other has had cancer. I can't offer to help with their chores or play with their children because i can't do that for myself. What i can do though is to knit a shawl to show how much they are loved and that they are being prayed for a full recovery into every stitch. It doesn't matter to me if they're Christian like me or not. I believe enough for us all.

I've completed Kimberlys OMG Ponies hat and it's just beautiful, LOOK!!!!!!

I've also only got to get enough yarn for another 3 projects and apart from time or a swarm of moths i am set for knitting this years presents.

As i'm losing my hair rapidly at the moment (40% over last 3 weeks) i invested in a set of 40cm circular addi premium needles to rapidly knit myself a selection of hats, I'm not a wig person. I made up a hat i'm very proud of and called it Autumn Assembly in my Revelry rojects.
I also yesterday bought the Chiaogoo hand painted flower 9" needle set purely because i've been longing for them since i first saw them advertised in Vogue Knitting 3 years ago.
One day i'll own some Signature needles too.

On a very happy note, my friend is pregnant so i can start the baby blanket for her too, but that will be a sideline project she's still a long way off yet.

So the only things left to do this evening is to do this evening are finish my necklace, do another shell for one shawl and a repeat on the other whilst watching a good film.
Night all, Elspeth x

P.S more on the books soon.

Books.....

Hi there,
My health today is really bad so we'll leaveit at that!

For w hile now i've been thinking about writing a book, with anecdotes, stories and knitting patterns. I know how many patterns I want to include and how many pieces of writing or essays.
My head is spinng with so many ideas that if I don't write them all down i'll forget them and regret it always. So i've started that today too.

 For friends and Godparents to my daughters this year, my daughters have decided to make a story book. They've written the story and have been doing test photos. The idea is that they'll draw the chacters they want to use in their story and i then knit or sew the characters for them. (challenging!!!) They then position the characters for each scene and take a picture, these will then be edited by them on the computer for facial expressions etc. They will then combine the pictures and story to make a book which I said I would pay to get printed for them as peoples Christmas gifts. All very exciting and very pleasingly creative on their part. Proud mummy moment indeed.

I only have to find one more pattern for Christmas gifts. I have all the patterns (36 i think) labelled up in a plastic sleeve folder with the yarn type being used for each gift, I find it soothing knowing i can just flip through and see all the gifts waiting to be knitted or have started knitting already. It gives me a sense of being organised in one area while my health is so appalling. Some are amazing fun projects like a fairy i'm knitting for my youngest daughter Niamh in white and a green version for her best friend. Then the large projects like a simple jumper for Dave, to a secret project i've designed for him aswell. It will totally rock his inner geek and having shown his friends the design, withtheir approval i just need 2 colours left to purchase and it's a green light. Some of the patterns are ones that I've designed from scratch and will eventually either put in my book or sell on Ravelry. (once i know how)

Having completed Niamhs Fluffy jumper (one of my patterns) and Keiras King Cole Galaxy Bolero, I figured i should complete something for my eldest daughter Kimberly. So I'm doing her vest top. My own pattern (very simple) but using Rico Design Creative Micro DK.

 I've done the back and I'm halfway up the front. I reckon it should be done by monday if i don't get distracted by one of my other ongoing multiple projects. Which as any other knitter reading this knows, it will be a great feat if i resist.

I also have to start knitting baby things after Christmas because a mum we know is expecting her second child and i feel every baby should have at least one hand knitted piece as a show of love and well wishing for their future shown by the time it takes to make instead of buy.
Back soon x

Festive Miniatures !!!!!!

So, today I decided i would bite the bullet and post my first pattern on www.ravelry.com to see if people like what i can do. This is the pattern:

Festive Miniatures !!!!!!!!!!

Materials needed:
1.25mm - 2mm needles,
Embroidery thread / silk/ floss,
Seed beads ( Optional)

Note: You'll only need between 2 and 3 m for each piece.
So very economical decoations.
You can easily find a tutorial online to show you how to knit with beads, or you can simply sew them on afterwards. I do both plain and beaded variations.

Abbreviations:
K knit
P purl
kfb knit into front and back of stitch
pfb purl into front and back of stitch
K2togtbl knit 2 together through back of stitch
K2tog knit 2 sts together
P2tog purl 2 sts together

Pattern:

Cast on 12 stitches using the knit on method,
Work in K1,P1 rib for 7 rows,
Work in stocking stitch for 4 rows,
Next 4 rows: kfb in 1st and last st. 20 sts.
Knit 1 row,
Next row: pfb into 1st and last st. 22 sts.
Work in stocking stitch for 4 rows,
Next row: K2togtbl, knit to last 2 sts, K2tog.
Next row: P2tog, purl to last 2 sts, P2tog.
Cast off.
Weave in ends.
Fold piece in half and join the seam.

So.......Thursday 23rd August 2012

There's so much to fill in.

My Health is worse and still no diagnoses is in sight, I must admit i've become very despondant and close to breaking point, everything seems to make me break down and sob uncontroloably and my panics have been getting more frequant again, having had various unpleasant procedures I expected at least a hint of what is going wrong inside my body. At present i am having golden syrup on gluten free crumpets and gluten free pear sponge cake five times a day for calories. Plus it seems it's all my body will accept. sounds great for anyone with a sweet tooth but i want to be able to eat a roast or lasagne again only my body won't let me. I'm so angry at my body for whatever is going wrong. I've now also lost about 60% of my hair, again no one will even look into it. I have however on this stupid diet managed to get back some weight and i'm now 6st11.75oz. Just another stone to go......hmmmmm!!!!!

Ok so knitting update, been doing a ton of it, but also for a while i couldn't face any of it, it just became to much to handle mentally and emotionally. I kept looking at the project in my hand thinking "is there any point because i might be dead before i see it worn or too ill again to hold the needles to finish the knit object" organised Christmas knitting list too. I've designed my hubby a really cool jumper for Christmas which totally rocks and will satisfy the geek in him hugely.

I went to Heavenly Yarns on friday and bought some teal/ dark turquoise King Cole Galaxy after Keira my middle daughter held it up and said how pretty it was. I just saw how beautiful it made her eyes look and was sold. So I bought a pattern and yesterday i'd completed this..

 

 

Isn't she beautiful xxx
I also finished Niamhs lilac fluffy jumper i started a couple of weeks ago...

 

As you can see she loves it.







 

I've got loads more projects on the go, but these to are my most recently completed.

I am knitting all day other than the daily living essentials like eating and taking my meds, it is pretty much all i can do and although it is fun it is also a challenge and keeps my brain going too.

More soon xxx