Jammy Goodness

I went shopping with my best friend yesterday, and somewhere between looking at work gloves for her stepfather and picking out spray paint for my fake-y shake-y wood end table, we decided to have a strawberry jam cook-off, my pectin brand vs hers. I'm using Sure-Jell and my grandmother'  secret family recipe. (which, when I asked my grandmother what it was, turned out to be the recipe on the Sure-Jell box. Hmm.)
I fully expect both batches to be delicious. I finished mine last night in an hour, and now have 11 half-pints of cooled jam on my counter. The only awkward part was the water bath, because I made a little too much for the eight-jar recipe and my biggest pot only holds eight jars.

A NEW PHOTO HAS SURFACED

There is another picture of me at the meet-up.

SOCK SUMMIT BABY YEAH!

I managed to make it to one day of this year's Sock summit , and it was absolutely amazing.

The plan was this. Little Hawk would drop me off at the Portland Convention Center, I would spend the day squishing yarn and meeting my online friends, that evening I would go to a party and meet local members of a Ravelry group I am a part of, then he would come grab me and we would go home the next morning.
Well, the best laid plans and all that....Little Hawk wasn't up to driving, so I dropped him off at his brother's, (heretoafter to be called the House Of Irish) and borrowed his brother's GPS to help prevent me from having a panic attack and ensuing aneurysm.
I still got lost, which is remarkable considering that it was freeway all the way and only a half hour from House of Irish to the convention center. I only really had trouble when I exited the freeway, less than a block from the convention center, and kept panicking and turning left instead of right. The poor GPS kept saying..."recalculating route, please make a U turn," with increasing levels of irritation.
I did make it eventually, made sure to park in an ALL DAY lot, then slogged two blocks in the hot, hot, hot sun to the convention center....to discover I had left my wallet in the car. Back I go, and then the money I had been saving in my Paypal account just for this hadn't transferred yet. So I call Little Hawk and he transferred some money over for me.
Remember, I was on a VERY tight budget. I had promised to buy some stash yarn from a friend there, OhCamels, and we were supposed to do the hand-off that day. I had her 40 dollars, and fifteen of my own to spend. I had more, but I had to husband it against parking fees and dinner with my friends. When I finally met up with her, (after wandering the marketplace and being reduced to near tears by the wondrous sights,) we had a bit of a misunderstanding. She said that she hadn't brought the yarn to her booth, and I could pay her later. I thought she hadn't brought it AT ALL and that I could now spend $55 instead of $15.
Somehow she convinced me to buy three skeins of AMAZING sock yarn for a mystery shawl knit-along that our group is doing. I'm not sure how that happened, but I'm still petting the yarn and cooing over it. Beware, all of you. Abstract Fiber is not only amazingly soft and beautiful, but everyone who works there is a highly skilled Yarn Enabler. You will buy ALL THE THINGS.
Afterwards, she draped me in one of her loveliest shawls and sent me off to wander with some more awesome ladies, Kellbelle and Mykind. There was much yarn squishing, and I was introduced to the concept of "pet" yarn. This is yarn that one will never knit, perhaps because it is in a color that doesn't flatter you, or because knitting mohair is something you abhor, but yarn that you must own anyway. Yarn as a pet. I am behind this idea 100%.
When the promised $40 yarn showed up that evening, though, I had some 'splaining to do. Luckily OhCamels is awesome and nonjudgmental about my skills of comprehension.

I met so many of the wonderful people I know online. I squeaked and flailed at the poor Yarn Harlot until she relented and signed my sketchbook. OhCamels was beautiful and vibrant and somehow talked me into buying half the yarn at her stall. AdamAntonym was charming and dapper and delectably handsome. Didisaurus showed up to the meet-up of my Ravelry group in a dinosaur costume, and Gonzopants, after being kidnapped by pirates, brought one of them to the party with her. He was very charming and a good sport about being flirted with and groped by a group of tipsy knitters. The party, though, didn't really get started until wheniripyouopen showed up with AN ENTIRE SUITCASE OF WOLLMEISE and started selling it, right there in the bar. AND I WAS OUT OF MONEY.

My only regret, besides not having any money, was forgetting my camera. I had to beg a friend to snap me and our weasel mascot with her iphone and email me the picture. Here you are.

Please to enjoy my hickey and double chin. *sigh*

In other news, Miss Manners chides an irked lady for thinking that knitting at a recital means you aren't paying attention.

Canada

I've been seriously thinking about moving to Canada lately, and not just because I think the Yarn Harlot and I were separated at birth or something. Hello, coffee and knitting? Yeah.
Canada doesn't want us, so nobody panic or anything, but it would still be nice. Why do I think we'd be happy in Canada?
Well, obviously the healthcare thing is awesome. I've been without insurance for so long, I can't remember what it's like to go to the dentist.
Also, Canada is COLD. Not all the time, but when it does get cold, it's pretty serious about it. This means that my kitting will be so much more appreciated. Not only that, but my purchases of yarn go from "annoying and excessive" in the eyes of the general non-knitting public, to "essential for life."

Scared and Uncertain

Little Hawk is getting worse.
When I first met him, four years ago this fall, he had occasional spasms in his legs. Over that fall and winter they got worse and involved his whole legs up to the hips. Then they started involving his arms that summer. The winter and the spring of our marriage, his whole body would thrash uncontrollably during an attack. This winter, during severe attacks, his diaphragm would freeze up and he wouldn't be able to breathe during contractions.

Now his lungs are spasming and he is aspirating saliva and sometimes vomit during the really bad attacks. It was bad enough watching him spasm.
 It was bad enough having to pin him down so he wouldn't punch himself or claw his face when he was spasming. It was bad enough when he was screaming in pain and I was unable to help him. But now, when he is spasming, thrashing around, coughing and gagging and gasping and turning purple, vomiting or coughing up white or yellow foam- I can't help him, other than wiping his face with a towel, holding him on his side so he doesn't aspirate, trying to coach him to stop hyperventilating.
I feel like he is dying by inches and there is nothing I can do. I'm so afraid that he is going to get worse and worse or that he's going to do this while I'm at the grocery store and die while I'm squishing avacados and deciding on bread. Every time I leave the house I'm afraid. When I'm in bed and he gets up to go to the bathroom, I'm afraid. If he's napping and I can't hear him snoring, I have to go in and check on him every few minutes to allay my fear. I wake up every half hour at night to check on him. I don't do it on purpose, I just can't sleep for worry.
What happens when I snap? So far I've been remarkably resilient. I have a phobia of spit and phlegm. When teenage boys spit on the sidewalk I twitch and make a detour. However, I've managed to hold him while he vomits and coughs foam all over my shirt, arms, and even my face. I've managed to get up and do whatever needs to be done, even if I haven't slept in three days and I want to curl up in the corner and rock and cry and  hold myself. But what if tomorrow I can't?
I think that's what I'm afraid of the most. Little Hawk depends on me to be his rock. He's said so before, many times. I can't give myself the luxury of having a mental breakdown, because he needs me.
On the other hand, it's nice to be needed, eh?

I work hard to try and keep our spirits up. I give myself time to cry. I do a LOT of knitting, especially knitting things for people I love. I cuddle with Little Hawk, or with my kitten, who has taken it upon herself to comfort me by gluing herself to my lap. I putter around in my garden. I listen to audiobooks.
If I could just be certain that Little Hawk was going to be ok, I could cope. I love him so very, very much, and seeing him go through this pain is what hurts me the most. He doesn't deserve any of this, He's the kindest, sweetest, most thoughtful man I've ever met. Honestly, it's a privilege to take care of him. He's that amazing. That's why watching him suffer hurts so much.

I Have Awesome Pants

About a week ago, Kitten gave me a pair of really awesome plaid pants. They weren't terribly blinding, a nice beige and red combo, and it even look like they fit. (I've been comfort eating. Don't look at me like that.)
Anyway, I decided to wear them yesterday, since the respite nurse was coming over and I was going to Knit Night. Anyway, I put on the pants, a relatively nice shirt, and my sunglasses, drove to pick up Kitten- and as I stepped out of the car, I was suddenly awash with absolute sureness in the fact that I was Cool.
 I was Super Cool and Awesome and I could feel the adoring glances of everyone in Safeway. I refused to let my slightly ragged cardigan with the hole in the elbow taint my glow of Cool.
I basked in my coolness for the rest of the afternoon, and it was very fun, especially when I got a free smoothie sample at Starbucks and one of the ladies at Knit Night brought cookies. It was a really, really nice day, and I'm going to do my best to cultivate that happiness for a few days more.

Thank God For EMTs

So here I am, eating stale Safeway cheesecake that tastes like socks, drinking milk and wishing it was wine, and trying to decide how on earth I am going to get ground in vomit out of the carpet.

Need me to back up? OK. I deleted a really long, detailed account of how terrible my day was. It started at Five AM and it didn't end until nearly midnight, but it ended well and that's the important thing.

The short version is that Little Hawk had a pretty bad spasm day today, and it was made worse by the fact that he is getting frustrated with the sedation his meds cause and delayed in taking them until it was too late to do more than keep them from being uncontrollable, rather than making them go away. He was resting on the couch in between attacks, and I turned my back for a minute to get him his meds, and his spasms caused him to fall off the couch and inhale a big lungful of carpet dust.
THAT caused his asthma to go into overdrive, and the next thing I know I'm trying to hold him on his side so he doesn't aspirate any of the vomit-laced foam he's coughing up, and trying to clear his mouth for a few seconds so I can use his rescue inhaler on him. I say trying because he's still spasming at this point, so it was rather like trying to wrestle a very strong rabid sea lion. I managed to get the albuterol inside him, and he started to breath much better, so I put him back on the couch, gave him a pile of benedril,  and went to get a warm washcloth to wash the spittle off him.
Aren't I thoughtful?
Well apparently not, because he fell off the couch and got a second lungful of dust. Welp, home care is all over now, time to call in the pros. I called 911, fully understanding that unless the COPES money had kicked in, we wouldn't be able to pay this trip.
The EMTs were at our place in less than a minute- HOW DO THEY DO THAT?
The fire station is clear across town, easily three miles away. Maybe four.
Anyway, they were wonderfully sweet, helped stabilize his breathing, and waited with us until the Benedril kicked in, saving us the cost of a trip. We discussed the treatment plan we are on for his spasms, shared a few nurse jokes, and dissected the local doctors in gossip. Then, after Little Hawk was breathing normally and his spasms were under control, they helped me carry him to bed and cleaned up, heading back to the station.
As they headed out the door, the Captain turned and shook my hand with a kind expression on his face.
"Honey, I know that some of the docs have their heads up their asses over your husband there, and most of 'em think he's a Munchausen’s, but we all know the truth. This is real, and this is terrible, but you are a real hero for sticking by him and both of you are gonna be ok."


It's a good thing he hurried out because I would have died of embarrassment if he had seen how hard that made me cry. These were good tears, mind, because it's been such a long time since we've had someone  in the medical field be nice to us and show some sympathy, when we are so jaded by doctors who dismiss us and shove us in the corner of the corridor, on a cot behind the mobile xray machine. Having him say that made the whole horrible day better. 


I DO love my husband, more than life itself. I WILL stay with him and support him no matter how bad his health is, because a year ago Sunday, I made a vow to. He is an amazing, kind, thoughtful, funny, handsome, and all around wonderful man, and he is worth any amount of pain and trauma, and it's nice to have that reaffirmed by a professional. 
Also, it's nice being called a hero by a REAL HERO. 

Working From Home

There was a lot of confusion around here over the past few weeks about what, exactly, was going on this summer. We knew we were moving, we knew I was working, we knew Little Hawk would need a lot of in-home care, and I knew that I really, really needed to spend some quality time with my beads, my dyes, my wool and my knitting. If I want to get serious about running a business, I need to dedicate a lot of time to my artwork. Also, if I don't want my developing artistic vision to stagnate over the summer, I need to spend time each day working.
The issues that we had to work out were money and care. As it stood at the end of the quarter, we were spending horrendous amounts of money on Er visits, insurance, medicine, and other bills. This was due to a frustrating cycle that we were locked into:

Little Hawk would try to do something that he was too weak to do, such as take a shower by himself or try to load the washing machine, then he would fall and hurt himself, either banging his head or jarring his hip. I would either take him to the ER for xrays, or we would have to call an ambulance, we would spend the entire day or night there while they shoved us in a corner or ignored us, he would check out battered but not broken, and we would return home. For a few days he would depend on me to help him with everything, then he would start to feel a bit better, try to do something by himself, and get hurt all over again. 

Then we would have to try and find money to pay for the ambulance, xrays, and ER copay, which all together would end up being about $250 on top of the $600 we were already paying for insurance. Factor in that we were going in two to three times a month, and it adds up. 

So the summer started with us fending off a few collections agencies, me unable to leave Little Hawk by himself, and having to follow him all around the house so that I could be on hand to assist him with anything strenuous, because he refused to ask for help. 

Remember, a year ago, he was in the prime of life, able to live entirely on his own and never needing help from anyone. Having to admit that this recovery is going to take a long time, having to stoop to ask for help with activities of daily living, that kind of humility is too much for a proud man, especially one who is determined to make his own way. 

In the end, we applied to the COPES program. It would subsidize our medical expenses entirely and provide in home help, solving our money problem and allowing me to either spend more time doing artwork and educating myself, or to work more. It took a month for them to get around to approving us, and during that month things have gotten a little better. We still have money problems, and he is still having health issues, but I have found some ways to let him be independent, but minimize his risk factors, like taking over all of his daily chores, but putting him in charge of other, safer ones. It's like the creed of the assisted living program I work for- We accommodate the client's needs, we don't make them accommodate us. 

In the end, it looks like our summer will be a lot easier now. We have our appointment with the people who will be providing the in home care today, and I will try to explain to them what the situation is. Little Hawk thinks that they will be there to clean the house and do the dishes, and that is a small part of it, but not all. I think they will also be expecting that I am taking classes this summer, but I cancelled my summer classes because I didn't know if we were going to be approved or not, and if we weren't, I needed to be at home. Now that we are approved, I'm going to be locking myself in my studio and getting something accomplished. 

I am beginning to see the inherent problem with working from home- Since you are at home, everyone seems to think you aren't working and can do things for them. 

Summer at Last.

Finals are over at last, and I am in the process of transferring my degree over to Evergreen for my last two quarters. Why am I hitting up another school when I am less than a year away from my degree? Three reasons. One, as an artist, I am stagnating at this school. My teacher and I are having some pretty big issues and I need a fresh outlook on ceramics. Two, the house we are living in is unsafe for Little Hawk at this point. His condition continues to deteriorate and this house isn't really that accessible. Also, we need to be closer to his doctors. If every drive to see his doc costs us $75, we aren't ever going to be able to pay off the ER trips that have gone to collections, let alone get me new glasses and dental care. Third, almost everyone that we know here is moving away, and we had precious few friends in the area to begin with. Little Hawk is lonely and miserable, and I have only a few people who I can lean on for help when it all becomes too much. This last quarter was awful, and without the support we had, we might not have pulled through. We need more help.

Not everything is dreary and terrible. My Etsy shop is back up and running, full of lovely things and making me a few dollars that I can spend on wool. I recently bought some Romeldale silvery lilac wool, and it is LOVELY. I washed and carded it up this morning, and I can hardly wait to spin this stuff. It is soft and downy, a pale grey that is almost blue with golden tips, and I have a special project in mind for it.
I want to knit a shawl. Not just any  shawl, but one knit from the lace edging up, cast on in charcoal wool, with the lace section in my lilac romeldale, and the plain center in white. It's a similar idea to the shawl that the Yarn Harlot knitted a month back.
It will be a spectacular shawl, and it's going to be a gift for my mother.

Pottery, Perfect Sunshine, and Personal Issues

I have been putting up a little more pottery on Etsy this week, after spending a little bit of my spending money on pretty blue dyed merino roving. It was dirt cheap, though...and I can't get a deep blue with my own dyes.

A small sample of the stuff I have up now. 

The money I make in my Etsy store is all I can spend on myself. Our budget is so tight that I can't even take the twenty out of every paycheck for "me" money, but since my Etsy money goes into a special PayPal account, we can't really use it for grocery shopping or paying hospital bills. That's the money I use to keep my sanity at least marginally intact, buying aromatherapy candles, audiobooks to knit to, wool and ect online. Just knowing I have my own little money stash helps so much. 

I'm supposed to be saving up for a spinning wheel, and I am. In fact, to encourage people, I am having a Spring Special. If you spend more than $30 in my Etsy store, (link is on my sidebar) I will knit you a free kerchief from my hand-dyed yarn. Here's one I made from my own handspun.  

If you have time, please take a look at the shop. 

Blech

I'm sorry that I haven't posted a lot. I always mean to, but usually the times I think of good posts are the times I am out of reach of my computer. I really, really need an Ipad.

I've been ill for the last few weeks, and it got really bad over the weekend, infected kidneys, most likely. Anyone who asks me how I am is regretting it. : D

Anyway, I have been carding wool into roving and dying it merrily. Yesterday, since it was raining and I wanted to cheer myself up,  I took a break from the wool (and my homework) and dyed up eight skeins if the Fisherman's Wool that can be found in Fred Meyers. Since the yarn store in town is closing, that's the only local source of yarn I'm going to have, so I had better learn to cope. I got some really pretty colors.

As you can see, the dandelions are welcoming the wonderful sunshine that we have been enjoying today. Coraline has been enjoying it too. 

She's curled up on my favorite wool sweater. Luckily it's the same color that she is. 

My peat pots full of sprouts are really going to town. I planted the spring peas and the beans outside, and so far they are doing alright, but I don't trust the squash and ect for another week. The peppers aren't big enough to transplant, and I have had to replant tomato seeds because the cats pulled up all the starts and ate them. I may just buy starts at the Farmer's Market that starts in two weeks. 

My happy little carrots. 

Watermelons. 

Most cheering, though, is this bunch of volunteer tulips that popped up by the corner of the house. Surprise flowers are such a lovely bonus! 

SHEEP SHEEP akjdfsiuhfjcvnsdfk

Hurgh. So much to do. So little desire to do anything.
I'm slowly but surely climbing out of the depression hole that last quarter dug. It's helped a lot that Little Hawk is feeling much better, spring is finally here, I now have a Fairy Godmother, and Coraline is finally cuddly.

Little Hawk's worst Post Concussive Disorder symptoms are finally gone. His nausea, fainting, and memory issues are better, and although the headaches are still around, they are now manageable. His spasms have responded to this sudden surge of wellness, however, and returned with crippling force. Luckily, so far, his medications have kept them managed, and by managed, I mean merely painful, not stroke-inducing.

The sunshine is finally here, and although it is still freezing at night, I have started plants indoors, getting ready for this weekend when my awesome mom will bring me some raised beds she built me and fill dirt for them. Unfortunately, it seems that my cats like veggies.... they ate all of my bean starts right down to the roots, and I have to start all over again now. Still, the spring peas are all ok, and the onions look awesome. I just need to plant some wheatgrass, so that cats will eat their own munchies and leave mine alone. I was ready to murder Coraline, who was the ringleader. She's just too adept in using her powers of cuteness. In fact, the little fuzzball has figured out that if she wants to snuggle in the middle of the night, she'll end up locked out of the bedroom. So instead, she sits next to my pillow, and wits for my alarm clock to ring, then turns into a purring pile of snuggle. I woke up a few minutes early and saw her waiting impatiently.

Classes have started again, and a wonderful lady in my Ceramics class is a fellow knitter and spinner, with a sheep farm of her very own. Upon hearing that I wanted to spin, she kindly helped me pick out my first spindle, then gave me some wool roving to practice with. Today, she surprised me with an ENTIRE FLEECE all of my own. It is HUGE. Following her directions, I spread it out on a blanket on the lawn to clean, and it was as large as a queen sized blanket. Holy Crap! I picked off most of the hay and straw, along with the edges that were too felted and matted to spin. They seemed perfectly good for stuffing, though, so I saved them in a bag for a rainy day. Little Hawk, who was puttering about in the house, had no idea what was going on. I carefully split the fleece in half, then rolled up one half and carried it inside to soak in the washing machine. Little Hawk looked up as I came in.
"Check out my present from my Fairy Godmother! A whole fleece all of my own!" I chirped in delight. He took a deep breath, clearly about to congratulate me on my windfall, and stopped, wheezing as the wave of SHEEP hit him.
I'd forgotten to warn the poor man that Sheep has a very....distinctive...odor. I think it smells great, although not as good as a happy, clean cow. To someone who isn't used to animal odors, though......
The poor man is so sweet. He's not complaining...yet...

Triumphant Return

Sorry, folks, about the unannounced hiatus. I decided to take Spring Break off from everything, so I could focus on resting up and getting my house back in shape. A week spent visiting family on the West side and three days of deep-cleaning later, I feel rested and renewed. Spring is here for reals, and I have bean and sugar peas sprouting. My mom is building me some raised beds to go in the side yard, and some tomato frames for the front- I'm leaving the back for the neighbor's ADORABLE wiener dogs. (and their less adorable poo)
I'm deep in the garden planning stage. Since it still freezes at night, I keep the starts inside at night, and take them outside on sunny days. My dear, sweet mother gave me some pansies and some kind of poppy-like flowers that get the same treatment. The cats are fascinated by the plants and won't leave them alone. Yesterday one of them chowed down on a pansy and then threw it up in the living room. Luckily for whoever it was, pansies are edible-even used as salad greens- they just didn't agree with him.

In other, even less interesting news, something odd is going on with Coraline. Firstly, let it be known that our two boy cats are reputed to be fixed- Robbie came with a note from the shelter declaring the loss of his manhood, while we took Mew in ourselves. Also, NONE of the cats are allowed to go outside. EVER. We live perilously close to the dorm and frat-house district, and the crazy driving we see daily is too much to risk. So you can understand why we have been a little lax about getting Coraline spayed. It's expensive and there's no way she can get knocked up.
She went into heat for the first time in late January, just before Little Hawk fell and hit his head. It was annoying and we had to crate her because she kept scent-marking the furniture. We decided to save our pennies and spay her whenever she came into heat again. She hasn't. She has also gained a lot of weight.
So, my question is, am I just paranoid, or did the vet screw up on the boys?!?

Snuggles

Spring Break is finally here, and none too soon- I'm sick. Just the creeping crud, nothing serious, but I'm grouchy and have no energy. My sweet, sweet husband has been trying to pamper me as best he can, eating yogurt and hot dogs so I don't have to cook, trying to do some laundry for me, and, sweetest of all, every time I try to get up and do something he threatens to sit on me. So, here I am, exiled to recovery and knitting up a pair of socks for myself.

The weather is finally starting to improve, which is nice because the birds are back. They woke me up at six this morning, which would have annoyed me on any other day, but listening to them sing and seeing the first traces of sunlight peek through the curtains was so soothing. Plus, it's hard to wake up in a bad mood when you are snuggled up against your warm husband, with your face buried in the back of his neck, listening to him breathing. As a bonus, the kitten had burrowed under the covers and was curled up in the small of my back, purring.

Life is good. I have to keep remembering that.

Kitteh

Cardigan Crazy

I never used to like cardigans. I didn't like how they were short-waisted so that every time I bent over my lower back got cold. I didn't like how they emphasized my flat chest and were never quite the right color or texture.
Now that I'm a hard core knitter, I LOVE cardigans. I love how even the simplest pattern can be made crazy with a random color change and a few rows of garter stitch. I love finding masses of weird and unique buttons to make the fronts fun. And, of course, I love that I can choose exactly what yarn I want and can buy an extra skein to make them extra long to avoid Cold Butt Syndrome.*
I am in the middle of negotiating FIVE skeins of hand-dyed purple and maroon Peruvian Wool that is destined to become a cardigan for myself. YAAAY!





*Cold Butt Syndrome is what happens when the regrettable course of fashion makes it almost impossible to find  waist high jeans in a low-riding world.

Dye Hard

The title is a joke, that becomes more funny when I mention that I am addicted to Bruce Willis movies right now. *sigh*

Anyhow, I have been on a Kool-Aid dying kick. I dyed my first ball of handspun with Black Cherry, which is a lovely salmon pink, and have been dying roving ever since. I have it down to a science.

Step one: Put one packet of Kool-Aid in medium saucepan, add 3 cups of water.
Step two: Heat to boiling, turn off burner, remove from heat.
Step Three: Wait until dye stops bubbling, (bubbles will felt the roving) and put in roving, poke with spoon until the whole thing is under the surface.
Step Four: Leave to cool overnight, rinse with cool water in morning, press out water, hang to dry.

Pretty simple. Most people actually microwave the dye/roving in a bowl, but all that matters is that it heats up to make the dye fast. Fast dye doesn't put out on the first date, it just means that it won't run or fade. The really cool part about this is that the roving initially is this white blob in a pan of colored water, and then it sucks the dye particles out of the water, so in the morning the water is clear and the roving is colored. SO COOL.

Reconsidered

Umelucky is having a marvelous sale in her shop! I went to check it out, even though I won't be able to spend any money until Saturday at the soonest. Oh My Goodness. I think she specifically found vintage items that I MUST HAVE, then put them on sale.
Vintage Ladies Hankies: I have collected these for years. The fragile ones I use as doilies, the more durable ones I use for their intended purpose....although I have lost a few to crying little girls when I worked at a grade school.   Having a hankie in one's pocket really IS invaluable. They are so useful.
Happy Apron: SO CUTE. I never used to be an apron person. Even if I wasn't now, this one would make me an apron person.
Red Walnut Sewing Kit: I can't afford this, but it is so amazing I had to show you. It's a tiny, walnut shaped locket that holds a thimble, pins and a needle. And it's even red!!!! I literally drooled for ten minutes, then dragged Little Hawk over to look too. *Sigh*
Spring Meadow Violet Creamer: My sister collects white china with violets on it, and I would love to get it for her.

Hopefully I will be able to wait until my paycheck comes in..... : D

Picspam Time Again

I have been working happily (in my free time) on Kitten and Bunny's workbaskets. I made them cute measuring tapes based on the super cute ones from Tiny Apartment. Here is Bunny's measuring tape. 

Kitten's was really fun, after I figured the pattern out. 

It has been snowing here like CRAZY, which really bewildered our weatherman. Little Hawk has had his nose glued to the window, trying to measure it on the fence. Our kitties have been busy keeping cozy. 

Coraline loves to watch the snow too. 

Also, I was over at the Purl Bee when I realized that their store, Purl Soho, was having a massive yarn sale. IT"S STILL ON! RUN! GO! 

Anyway, I bought a beautiful ball of five-ply merino, which is reserved for a pair of thick socks for mwah. 

I was so excited when I opened my package this morning that I almost overlooked the extra bag at the bottom. What is this? 

Free goodies!! Purl Soho threw in some beautiful hanks of crewel embroidery yarn! Perfect for a little Fair Isle work. 

 Last, but not least, I thought I'd let you peek into my sewing tin and take a look at some more stuff for workbaskets. 

I love this tin so much I sepia-d the picture! It keeps all of my thread safe and sound. Anyway, here is a knitting needle case for Kitten! It has strawberries on it. 

Interior, with some old needles trying to be models. 

I love the texture of this old cashmere sweater. It provides the perfect accent. 

Little Hawk-date

After his doctor's appointment, some advice, (cover up the windows with dark blankets) and some medication, Little Hawk is feeling much better and less barf-y and fall-y. He felt better enough to eat, and consumed a great deal of Taco Bell.
He was also very sweet and thoughtful, not worrying about how badly he was feeling, and only concerned about me- what a thoughtful guy.
He ordered me to buy some nice craft things for myself, so I got a dozen spools of colorful thread. Singer now has biodegradable plastic spools, and when Singer says it bio-degrades, Singer means business, because I am watching the spools crumbling on my desk!

Le Sigh

Just when I thought Little Hawk was feeling better.....
He had a relatively good morning today, and even felt well enough to drink some coffee. The next thing I know, he starts throwing up and then got dizzy and fell off the couch.  Twice.
 Ensuing conversation:
Little Hawk: Honey! Call 911, I think I broke something!
Little Bird: What? What did you break? Where does it hurt?
Little Hawk: I don't know, but every time I move I hear something crunching!
Little Bird: Dear, you fell on a bag of corn chips.

Luckily, the corn chips did not need an ambulance.

I got him back up on the couch, with a rolled up blanket under the cushions so he couldn't fall off again. (yay for nurse skills!) I email my teacher that I may be late for class, and go to the kitchen to wash some dishes while I wait for his doctor to call. Now, remember that Post Concussive Disorder causes short term memory loss, so it's basically like having stage three Alzheimer's.  Naturally, Little Hawk dozed off, woke up, wondered why he was on the couch, and popped up into his chair again. Have I mentioned he's a paraplegic?
He rolls into the kitchen, scaring the liver out of me, and asks for some Sprite and a cold compress I put him back on the couch with orders NOT TO MOVE and then, finally, his doctor calls. While I am busy talking to his doctor, he sneaks off the couch again, only to have another dizzy spell and crack his forehead on the coffee table. I cut things short with the doctor, turn him on his side while he dry heaves, then put him to bed. Another email off to the teacher, and an emergency appointment with the local clinic.  Then, while I was on the phone with the clinic, he got up AGAIN.
I love him so much. I'm just terrified that he's going to fall and die.
No time to cry, I have a doctor's appointment to go to.

Happy Birthday Nanou

I read the blogs of some wonderful, creative and beautiful crafters, who decided to celebrate the birthday of one of their close friends by making a little blog about her creations.
It is the most beautiful celebration of someone's creativity, love, and giving heart that I have ever seen, and it has truly inspired me. Happy birthday, Nanou, and continue to spread your magic across the world.

Rug-weaver, Not ... ... Ok, I Can't Make That Joke Here.

I had a fun time tonight twining a braided rug out of a climbing rope. It was super fun and I am looking for similar patterns that I can translate into woven mats and such made of yarn.

Also, Bunny was super sweet and gave me some special shinies for my magpie stash.
Last but not least, here is the Beauty Queen, begging for a belly rub.

Better Than Christmas

This weekend was a little rough. Someone I know died this week, I was behind on my homework, and Little Hawk was not feeling well at all, so I couldn't go work on it. Then something happened that brightened my mood. 

As I mentioned before, I had the luck to win a givaway hosted by Umelucky. I got her package this weekend and it was full of wonderful things!

Every little carefully wrapped package tied with jute! It was all so carefully and thoughtfully put together!

A beautiful card made from homemade paper

Tiny stamped tags

Little wormy bravely sunning himself on the cat's patio. Fear not, he is now safe on my desk!

More gift tags and a pretty pretty clothespin

A bonus- a BEAUTIFUL lavender sachet made from a soft, quilted cotton. I love it dearly and it is in my workroom.

Even MORE tiny tags! 

The softest cowl you have ever seen, with another heart. My husband claimed this one as soon as he saw it and hung it in his office. :D I love my silly Little Hawk. 

Pictures cannot do this cowl justice. It is SO SOFT and COLORFUL and SPARKLY. I ADORE IT!!

Thank you so much, Umelucky. You made a rough weekend so much better. :D As soon as my paycheck is deposited, I will mail you something special.

Best. Morning. Ever.

Is there a better way to start off the day than to take a drive with your best friend?
Wait, there's also free lattes and scones?
Best way to start off the day EVER.
My spindle finally arrived from Knit Picks. Spinning is SO MUCH FUN. I have already spun up every scrap of available fiber.
I have been eagerly awaiting a package of wonderful, handmade-with-love goodies from the talented umelecky. I was lucky enough to win her awesome givaway. Yay!
Also, I have been working on a lot of projects. Since Bunny and Kitten are here doing crafts a lot, but they don't seem to have their work-baskets put together, I am doing it for them. It's the least I can do, after all the support I have gotten. I started with two handled boxes that are covered in Liberty prints. I got them from Target, but can't find them in the online catalog so no links for you. Anyway, I then went to the store and grabbed a couple of round Singer tape measures. I followed the idea from Tiny Apartment's Owl Measuring Tape, but made a bunny and a kitty instead. There will  be pictures at some point.
I want to make a set for another friend, but I'm not sure if she wants to join our group or not. Also I haven't come up with a nickname for her.
In other news, I finished Kitten's cup cozy, and it was SO EASY. Super fun. Awesome instructions.
Also, Little Hawk is doing better, which is good because one cannot be happy when their significant other is suffering.

The Only Thing We Have To Fear Is Cables

Or not, as it would seem. I started a quick easy knit cup cozy for Kitten, as her socks will not be done in time. Curse you, top down socks! I had to rip the first sock out because it was too small.
I have been frustrated a lot about school, the huge pile of homework looming over me, and Little Hawk. He fell down a flight of stairs at a local business a week ago and had a pretty bad concussion, and has not been improving at all.
It is actually terrifying me, although I try to keep a happy face for him. His memory is terrible, he has been having splitting headaches and horrible nightmares. we are in constant contact with his neurologist and local doctor, trying to get him onto cognitive therapy.
On the bright side, Code Enforcement has determined that the building does not comply with the ADA, so it is the building's fault and the owner and business have to pay for any medical issues.

Cats and the Attack of the Hair

I finished up my pink stripey socks, and am almost done with a pair for Kitten's birthday this weekend. These socks are a nice plush acrylic, to prevent accidental felting, in a black basket weave check.

 I love my new socks so much. 

Also, because the sun has been so lovely, I made a little spot for the cats to chill and watch the passersby. Since I haven't filled the bird feeder in a while, it's not as exciting as it could be, but between the warm sun and the heating vent below, the cats are pretty happy about it. 

As you can see, our windowsill is too small for them to sleep on, so I pushed the couch closer to it and put a piece of Foamcore over the gap, with a comfy blanket. 

Mew approves. 

So does Coraline. She is currently sporting a snazzy sweater I made her out of an old sock. Coraline is not pleased about this, and has already started shredding my curtains in revenge. 

Last, but not least, here is a picture of me. 

*yawn*

Picspam

I finally got around to grabbing those ice photos off of my camera. The ice is all gone now, thanks to a few beautiful sunny days. Well, here they are.

Those white lines are yarn that I wrapped around these icicles while they were tiny.

The net results were disappointing. 

That's all pure ice droplets. Wow. Just...wow.