Recap

I went to see the Orthopedic surgeon yesterday and he pissed me off. First he says that yes, I have a tumor thats coming on/off my sciatic nerve. That type of tumor thats made of nerve tissue is called a Schwannoma. He then says that he wants to proceed with caution because of my history and consult an oncologist at Yale that deals with these types of tumors. I said that its causing me a lot of pain and it needs to come out right? He agreed but I think that getting it out without damaging the nerve is the most difficult part. At one point he backtracted and said that physical therapy would help me. NOT! There is no way in hell that I am going to go through PT and torture myself without having this thing in my leg removed 1st. Crazy talk. Now I am awaiting his phone call to see what happens next.

Here are some pictures of some (more) sock yarn that I ordered from BMFA. The one closest to the camera is called Pink Granite and its heavyweight Rockin Sock Yarn. I am planning on using it for my Starry Night Shawl Class with Jane Elliot thats coming up in June. I am both excited and nervous about it because it a "challenging" class and more importantly you have to know Kitchner!! Ahhhhh!! Ok, I know it already from doing all those sock toes but I still will be using my cheat sheets! LOL.
The other yarn in the picture on the sides (red and green yarns) are Colinette Jitterbug.


This is the Vesper sock yarn that I won on eBay:


Today I had my appointment with the Plastic Surgeon for tattooing and more importantly I gave him his socks. These are my DH's size 10.5 feet modeling size 12 socks:



He was so excited about the socks it was like a little kid on Christmas morning! Those things make all the hard work and staying up late to finish all worth it. I am so happy that he liked them as much as he did. The first thing he said was, "Look at all the detail in them!" Everyone in the office was taken with them also and it started a conversation about knitting. I also made the receptionist thats been dealing with my insurance company a bracelet and earings with pink stones and swarovski crystals. She loved it also and couldnt thank me enough. These people work damn hard to help me and they deserve all the gifts I can shower on them. On the way home from his office I stopped by Knitting Central to pick up the Lucy Neatby DVD I ordered along with her Falling Leaves scarf pattern. The DVD is the GEMS 2 and the reason I wanted it is because it has instruction for Japanese Shortrows which I have been trying to learn to no avail.

As I was leaving the Orthopedists office yesterday I was a bit upset and depressed. In a way I felt abandoned because I had thought that this guy was going to help me. I know that I had said I wasnt going to get another haircut before it grew to touch my shoulders but I lied. I apologize and I dont feel bad about it either. I went to a real hair stylist in Greenwich who charged me more than I usually pay but was well worth it because I walked out of there in love with my hair again. I took a few pictures and the first one is blurry but it gives you the best picture of the style. I am not sure why I couldnt focus correctly but I think it was because I was using the tripod. Definitely my fault but you get the picture.




The tattoo artist today kept complimenting my skin. This is the 3rd person that has told me how nice my skin is and I am so blown away by that. While I was in high school and college I always had pimples and in my opinion, bad skin. I never had full blown acne all over my face but still its not what I would consider good skin. They all want to know my secret and here it is: I use the Aveeno Cleansing pads at night to wash my make-up off, Clearasil face wash in the morning, & Aveeno Clear Complexion Cream after cleansing. Once a week I use St Ives Apricot Scrub and a clay mask with Bentonite to absorb oil and dirt. Thats it, no big deal. I was using the Nutrogena Anti Wrinkle and Anti Blemish Cream with Retinol before I discovered how much I liked the Aveeno Cream. I still like it but just use it less. Now that I have given away my secrets they're not worth anything! LOL I just wanted people to know that you dont need to use a million types of creams on your face to get results. Maybe using too many is counterproductive? Who knows but there you have it.

Yesterday we took the kids to see Shrek the Third. It was cute and funny but the 1st and 2nd were definitely better. I dont think it was the best of the bunch. There were some cute scenes at the end but I dont want to give anything away here. Next movie on my list of movies to see is PIRATES!! I CANT WAIT for that to come out! I think its opening on the 25th.
Next week is the Yarn Harlot Event and I am still planning to go even though this whole thing with my leg isnt settled yet. I am thinking positive. Elizabeth ZImmerman had said something about knitting on through all crisis and thats what I plan on doing.

A Hospital Visit but Not for the Reason You Think

I was supposed to have my MRI today but yesterday my husband came home throwing his guts up. I wasnt to concerned about getting it because I had it 1st and then my son, daugher and husdand followed. I thought I had my turn with this nasty bug but it wanted more from me. Yesterday at 4pm I started vomiting and nothing in this world was able to make me stop. At around 10 pm my Mom arrived to take me to the emergency room because at this point I had no strength to even walk. Everything hurt and I felt like I was going to die. When I arrived at the hospital I waited for about 25 minutes and then they put me in a room and started and IV immediately. They ran bloods and a urine just to make sure everything was OK and it was just a virus. They also gave me all my meds IV because I wasnt able to take them due to the vomiting. I fell asleep and so did my Mom in the chair next to the bed and when I woke up at 2:30am they were hooking my 2nd liter of fluids up. They said that after I got them I can go home. At that point my whole body hurt from the nasty stretchers they have you lay in and I asked for more pain meds. After I got them I went back to sleep until 5am and went home at 5:30am. I was so happy to get back in my bed at 6am and have been resting all day. Its just 3pm and I had some saltine crackers with gatorade and ginger ale. I am holding them down and feeling a little better. I wasnt able to have my MRI today but had it rescheduled for tomorrow afternoon. I was worried that I wouldnt be able to get it rescheduled and I HAD to have it done before I went to see the surgeon on Tuesday. Now all I have to do is feel well enough to drive to the hospital tomorrow.
PS You know I am sick when I cant even think about knitting or anything to do with knitting. Now that I am feeling better I think I can start knitting again!

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

I did start the day in a wonderful mood and then it all went to hell when I had my appointment with my oncologist to review my PET Scan. He found something that was very unusual and its scaring the crap out of me. It something that showed up in my left thigh and its in the upper portion 3 inches below my groin. It seems to be very deep so it cant be felt by palpation. He said that it could be a benign tumor or a malignant one. It also could be a lymph node which he really doesnt think it is because its not in the right place to be one. Whatever it is I want to know now and I dont want to wait for further tests. Over the past few weeks I have had pain in my legs particularly the left one. The Dr said that breast cancer doesnt usually metastasize to that area, its unusual. I also reminded him that its me we are talknig about and there is never anything normal about me or what I have gone through so I dont believe what anyone says anymore. I have an MRI scheduled for Saturday and with an orthopedic neurosurgeon next week. I am praying that is nothing bad, I dont want to go through chemo again. I dont think I could do it again.

Here is a cute picture to put a smile on your face. This was taken after the Art Show at my DD's school. This is also the night my son got really sick and was up all night. He looks good in this picture, you would never know he would be throwing up his guts a few hours later.


Here is my DD with our 3 mini-doxies. They all went to the vet today and then my older one (the one with all the grey in his face) had an allergic reaction and his whole muzzle blew up like a prize fighter who got hit in the face one to many times.


This is the bracelet I made for my Mom. It was a tiny bit to big so I have to make it smaller for her little wrists. Its a little out of focus.


These are the Breast Cancer Ribbon pins made out of polymer clay. I gave one out to all the women on Mother's Day.


I took this one of us on our front steps with my new tripod. Finally I am in a picture with the rest of the family!


Azalea in front of my house


Dandelion at my cousins house


At the end of a beautiful day I got everyone together for a family picture. This is mostly my Dad's side of the family.


Before I went to my Dr's office I hit the bookstore and bought the new IW Knits and some other knitting magazines. I also bought Charmed Knits~Projects for Fans of Harry Potter, Modular Knits by Iris Schreier, & Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby. Then of course I had to go visit my friends at the Yarn Store and bought some Colinette Jitterbug Sock yarn, Rio De Plata Sock Yarn, a chicken tape measure and some sticky notes that say, "KNIT HAPPENS" just like my blog! Pictures will soon follow when I get the rest of the yarn that is due to arrive in the mail (hopefully tomorrow). I am speaking about my beloved Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin' Sock Yarn of course. My Tidalwave socks are looking fantastic and I love the way they feel on my feet.

Last night I won an eBay auction for some Vesper self striping sock yarn that is virtually impossible to get anywhere. Its not made in big batches because I think one woman makes it herself and she doesnt make a lot at a time. I cant wait to see and feel it in person and of course knit with it. I need to go and relax now and do some knitting. My mind is moving in a million different directions with what this f-ing thing is thats growing in my leg. I am so angry and frightened that this is happening all over again and I have no idea how to think anymore. I know I have to be positive but I have been and look whats happening! Right now the waiting is the hardest part.

Early Mother's Day Gift

My DH and the kids surprised me tonight with my Mothers Day gift early. I told DH that I didnt really need anything and not to spend a lot of moneyon a gift. I love plants and flowers so that would have sufficed. I also mentioned that I was very content with the camera and all the lenses I have for it. It does everything I want it to do. He kept asking about the camera and what other accessories I wanted to get. So guess what he bought me? Yup, a tripod for my camera (which I do need because I always want to take family pics and I am never included in them because I am taking them!) and another battery for backup because I only have one. I was so happy with this gift I immediately started fooling around and took a few of us and the kids with the dogs in our living room. They are so cute! I have to load them onto the computer but I am going to wait until after tomorrow because we are getting together with the extended family and I want to try and get a big picture of everyone. I dont think we have done that in a very long time. Last time we took that big of a family picture was when my Grandparents were married 50 years and that was when I was 16 or 17 years old. Take my word for it, it was a long time ago.

I finished making the gifts for my Mom, Aunt and Grandmother whom I usually give a plant or flowers to. This year I made my Grandmother the green necklace that I posted a pic of a few days ago. My Mom I cant mention because she reads my blog but I did make her something and bought her something also. One other thing I made her wont be ready by tomorrow and she'll have to wait because I am not sure when it will be ready. I bought my Aunt something from Crabtree & Evelyn that comes in a little accessory bag that you can use for makeup or anything really when you are done with the lotions inside.

Tonight I also made some Breast cancer pins out of polymer clay. I have never worked with it before and I had a blast making the pins. I am going to give them out tomorrow to the women at my cousins house. What better way to celebrate all the women in our life than to make people more aware of breast cancer that takes women who are our mothers, grandmothers, daughters, sisters, Aunts, cousins, wives and friends from us each and every day.

I finally decided on a pattern for the BM Walking on the Wild Tide Colorway. Drum roll please...
The pattern is Tidalwave sock from SWTC. The pattern is supposed to be used with SWTC's yarn, Tofutsies. I noticed it on another blog of a Rockin' Sock Club member and I not only thought that they looked great but the name of the pattern fits the colorway to a T. I mean how can you get a better name than TIDALWAVE? You cant, its perfect. Its an easy pattern to follow and I love it. i thought about doing it toe-up with a garter stitch short row toe like the Monsoon socks (I LOVE garter toes and heels because they are the cushioniest -is that a word? and also they wont wear as fast as a stockingette toe or heel) but I didnt because I thought it would take away from the pattern. The true beauty of this yarn is lost with the Grasshopper pattern (just my opinion). You needed really sharp points to your needles when doing the YO, P2tog and P2tog, YO stitches because they formed very tightly around the needles.

My son is much better today then yesterday. No more vomiting and a low grade fever is all that remains. He ate well and held down his food all day. My DD said her tummy hurt a few times but nothing came of it so I am not going to worry about her until she gets sick.

Better get back to some knitting before I fall asleep!

Up all night for my PET Scan today

One would normally be a nervous wreck the night before a PET scan but I was more than normally nervous about it. One reason might be that I was up all night with my son who was throwing up his guts and had a very high fever which wouldnt come down. Its very hard to get fever down when a child cant hold down the Tylenol. Yes, I know about the other way it can be given but it wasnt an option because he was already very upset and almost hyserical from wretching so much. It sounded like he had caught the virus that I had a few weeks ago because he was describing the same stomach pain and the restlessness that I had with it. This morning when he was sitting in his high chair my DH said, "Look at the rash he developed on his face from the virus." Upon closer inspection I noticed that it wasnt a rash but broken capillaries in his face from the forcing of the wretching & vomiting. (Sorry to be so graphic here)

I felt so bad for him today. He was so uncomfortable last night that he moaned all night and he didnt want to come into our bed but wanted my DH to stay with him in his bed. My DH had a bit of a problem fittting in his bed with all the stuffed animals my son sleeps with and also the fact that the bed is much to small for a 6 ft, 210 lb man, LOL.

My DD went off to school while me, DH and DS went to my appointment at the hospital. I had an earlier one with the pain specialists APRN (an advanced degree nurse who can write scripts for medications and such). She is such a sweet woman and I really like her a lot. She works directly with the Dr whom I was seeing that it doesnt matter to me which one I see. The issues with my chronic pain is that it is interfering with my daily activities and with excercise I want to start doing to lose weight. She raised some of my doses and I think that its going to help me do the things I want to do. At least I hope it does!

After that appointment I went down to nuclear medicine to get ready for my PET Scan. Thank God I fasted for 7 hours because when I pre-registered the other day I asked if I should and the woman I spoke to said no. I knew that when I had a bone scan I had to fast for the same amount of time so common sense told me to do the same for this test. Its different than a bone scan in that you only have to wait one hour instead of two hours after you get the injection to get scanned. They inject a radioactive dextrose like substance that cancer cells or any bad cells would feed on and it shows on the scan. The only bad thing about the test was that you cant MOVE AT ALL after the injection is given. You are in a dark room with no stimulation at all. There is a recliner to sit in with blankets and pillows but NO magazines to read, no iPods to listen to and definitely NO knitting allowed. Normally I would have freaked out but since I had no sleep the night before I took a nice nap! The reason you cant have any stimulation is that you would use up the radioactive sugsr they are using and then your test results would not be accurate. They certainly are strict to because as I was setting up my pillows and picking my underwear out of my butt, I noticed a camera staring straight at me! Then after getting another heated blankie I fell asleep. The test took 24 minutes after that which I preceeded to fall asleep for also and then I was done. I had an amazing technician whose name was Skip and I reminded him that he had also done my bone scan a year ago. Instead of putting the IV in himself and having me have to get stuck again in the lab (I needed lab work also) he called the IV team and they put in a line, took my blood, let him inject his stuff and then pulled out the IV. It was great and I didnt have to go to the lab afterwards where there is always a long wait to have blood drawn. I almost forgot to add that due to the radioactivity of the injection I had I could not be near my son (since he is under 7 years old) for 10 hours! They like to be cautious. I was able to eat dinner at the same table with him and give him a bath because it was a short time. Another interesting thing is that your urine and other waste products are radioactive also. Very interesting, LOL.

On a side note, while I was waiting for the IV nurse to put in my catheter, I was knitting the Dr's socks [the due date for them to be finished is quickly approaching (May 23rd)]. Skip was asking me what I was making and of course the NSK (Notorious Sock Knitter) that I am had to show off my wares. I showed him the Artyarns Sock that I am making for my PS and the Jaywalkers that I am making for my DH in BMFA Henpecked Mediumweight. He was impressed but its so easy for us knitters to impress the Muggles who dont really know the difference from crochet to knitting and so on. It still made me feel good plus I got a lot done on the sock in the few moments I worked on it. I am on the gusset decreases now and its ALMOST done! The Jaywalker is number 1 and I am almost on the heel flap knitting. I love BM yarns so much (particularly the mediumweight that its a JOY to knit with and no other sock yarn can compare.

Speaking of BM yarn, I finally made a decision about what yarn to use for the shawl class I am taking in June. I probably mentioned this earlier in another post but since I am so excited I'll mention it again. I read the YARN HARLOTS blog about that gorgeous shawl she made her sick friend to help her heal and to know that there is someone out there who would make such a gorgeous knitted piece of art for her to wear. I purchased 3 skeins of Pink Granite in heavyweight and also some other colors that I will most definitely post & take pics of as soon ast they arrive! I had to frog my BM April club sock because the lace pattern was just not working with the yarn. I think the yarn has greater possibilities than that pattern offers so thats why I am choosing another pattern for it. I am going to survey what others are doing for a pattern first to get ideas. If I cant get any ideas then I am going to just pick a pattern from More Sensational Knitted Socks. I really wanted the pattern that came with the yarn to work but it doesnt in my eyes. Also it has nothing to do with me being able to do the pattern itself because I was about 4 inches into the foot already. Like I said its the yarn thats begging me for another pattern to show itself off in.

The results of the PET Scan will be ready in 72 hours.
Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful Moms out there! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Cool Socks! Warm Feet~The Lucy Neatby Experience

Well, I spoke about it before but I wanted to show you a picture of my new best friend:

He is a dream and does whatever I tell him to without complaint. All he asks is that I clean him up a bit after he's been around the dirtiest parts of my house. Not a bad trade off I think. Its the the Roomba Sage and you can read more about these awesome robots at www.irobot.com

This is a necklace that I made for Project Spectrum's April and May colors which are yellow, pink and green. This has two of those colors. I think I am going to give it to my grandmother for Mothers Day.


This is my daughter at her rainforest presentation. She had to tell everyone about the Harpy Eagle and then the audience had to guess what she was describing. Of course Mommy raised her hand to answer and all the other parents called me a cheater! What nerve! I really didnt know what animal she was doing because she wouldnt tell me. I really did guess. Who cares what the other parents think.


I never did finish my baby argyle socks but instead I made one into a sweater for a Steiff bear that I have had since I was a little girl. To much bad energy was going into this sock and I didnt want a baby having any of that bad energy. I am going to do them over but not now. I have another pattern thats similar except that the bottom of the foot is made in the round which eliminates the seam at the bottom. Sally did a wonderful job teaching the class, the problem was with me and the pattern not clicking in my head. Toward the end it did click but as I said there was to much toxic sock energy and it just wasnt meant to be.


This is the beginning of a Cabled Tank top in Knit Simple Magazine. I am using Berocco Love it and I am loving this yarn. Its a cotton, acrylic, poly blend. It has a wonderful give to it so it will fit nicely when worn (I hope! LOL).


The beginnings of my Blue Moon April sock. Its toe up with lace and the pattern is very difficult to do with the Addi circulars because its not sharp enough so I had to switch to my Knit Picks metal DPN's. These are VERY sharp and I am not having any issues now.


Today was the Lucy Neatby Cool Sock class and I cant tell you how much I learned! This is a "sock tree" where all her socks were displayed so I took a few pictures of them. They are gorgeous.


Here's Lucy teaching:


Hot Tamale Toes which is a pattern I bought and I absolutely love. Arent they cute? Look at those hot tamales!


Lucy and I:


Celestial Merino Sock Yarn which is Lucy's own brand specifically made for her. They are all handyed and the skeins are simply beautiful as you can see from these pictures.




I also have to mention that I purchased Lucy's DVD's which I watched last night. (Socks 1 & 2 and Knitting Essentials 1 & 2) Today I purchased Finesse Your Knitting 1. I cant say how wonderful these DVD's are because they are simply the best ones I have ever owned or seen ever and I am not just saying that. She demonstrates so many techniques that I never even knew existed. I have wanted to own these since I read about them in the Yarn Harlot's Blog months ago. I know its hard to see whats in a DVD to know if you want to buy it or not so go to www.lucyneatby.com where you can see the listing of whats on each DVD and see if you might like to own your own copy. You can also ask your local library to get them in so you can preview them for free before you decide to buy them.

On a totally different subject, I am watching the Discovery Channels show thats on now called LIVING WITH CANCER and its very good. The people that they are talking to have hit the nail on the head with how it feels to live every day in fear with it in the back of your mind that your cancer can return without warning. I have had such a hard time describing this to people and they just cant understand how I feel and I think that everyone should watch this show. There is going to be an encore performance on tomorrow night (Monday) at 8pm. Please watch it.

Crazy Week

Its been a crazy week for me. Last week I had a stomach virus and then starting this week I woke up with such a bad sore throat that I thought it was Strep. I used to get Strep all the time when I had tonsils so I know what it feels like and I felt sick all over. The infectious disease doctor that my DH is seeing told me to start taking honey in my tea. Now, there is a long story behind the honey so I will try to make it short. My DH's co-worker has an apiary and makes honey that he sells. We buy it from him by the gallon because its awesome in more ways than one. I use it in everything from the hair care product (CurlyBrunette's Shea it Ain't So! Leave in conditioner) I make that www.Naturallycurly.com sells to cooking with it and of course for use in my tea when I am sick. The Dr has done studies on this honey and believes that it can cure some infections due to its antimicrobial properties. I was on the verge of calling the Dr one night and my DH reminded me of the honey the Dr recommended. By the time I had 4 cups of herbal tea with the honey in it I stared feeling better. I did this for a couple of days and I was better. Either its a miracle, the honey or what I had was a viral infection and went away on its own. Whatever the reason I certainly am going to continue with the miracle honey in my diet! LOL.

Tomorrow is the big day and I am so excited about it. Lucy Neatby is teaching "Cool Socks" and I am in it!! I went to get my supplies today at Knitting Central and bought 4 of her DVD's. Sock Techniques 1 & 2 and Knitting Essentials 1 & 2. These are awesome just like the Yarn Harlot said. I watched a few minutes and already learned a new bind off and how to do a Bosnian Toe for a toe up sock. I highly recommend her DVD's. She has new ones out called Knitting Gems 1, 2, 3 & 4 but I didnt get those. I can always get them later on because there is enough on the ones I bought to keep me busy for a while. I have to remember to bring my camera with me tomorrow because Lucy brought all her samples of the gorgeous stuff she has made over the years and most of it, well all of it is VERY colorful. Thats what she is known for, her gorgeous intarsia techniques. Well I have to TRY and get to bed a bit earlier than usual (yeah right) because class starts early in the morning!

The Tide is High in CT

The tide is high in CT because of all the nasty rain we have had since last night with floods everywhere but also because I received my April Sock Kit from BMFA yesterday! It is appropriately named WALKING ON THE WILD TIDE. Here it is:

The colors are absolutely gorgeous and even more gorgeous after they were rolled on my ball winder. I am going to try and start them today if I feel better. I am much better than yesterday but still have a raging headache and fever.

This is the bag that I made my grandmother (crocheted) with Lion Brand Suede and some other Bernat sparkly novelty as trim.

This is the bracelet I made her also. In the spirit of Project Spectrum's April/May colors this qualifies.


The famous sock cake which was delicious!

How cute was that!!

I finished my BMFA Feb Socks which were Inside Out Socks in the Monsoon colorway on Tuesday. Just in the nick of time before receiving the April shippment yesterday. Its really hard to take a picture of your own feet! LOL


Here is my Chocolate Turtle (who is really a Giant Galapagos Tortoise that I bought at the Peabody Museum Gift shop) who is displaying what I have finished on my baby argyles which I am having issues with and will leave until I am well enough to deal with them.


Remember the yellow lace sock that I posted a pic of a while back? I consistantly tried it on as I progressed with it and it fit perfectly. Then when I finished with it the dang sock would not go over my heel! I realized that not only would it not go around my heel because it was to tight but it seemed to be tight all over. How can that be? Anyway I had my DD try it on and it fits her pretty well except for an inch or two in the toe area. I think in a year or so it will fit her foot perfectly and even if she wants to wear it as a slipper sock to bed she can do so next winter. I am in no rush to finish this sock right now so I just wanted to let my loyal readers know that I didnt forget about the lovely yellow lace sock.

Sick as a Dog

I have so much to blog about and great pics to post but I awoke this morning with a very bad stomach virus and 103 fever. I wont even go into details of what I vomited but I havent thrown up like this since receiving chemo last year. All I have had today was Gatorade and I am going to attempt an ice pop in a few minutes. My stomach had been bothering me for a few days and I think it might be related to that. I went to sock class on Tuesday night not feeling well and subsequently not doing well with the sock. The pattern is what I am having issues with and I found an Argyle sock pattern by Eddie Eckman that does it a different way that avoids the seam up the bottom of the sock. It is supposed to be for an infant but you dont need the seam it you can avoid it and then toddlers can wear it to! I forgot to bring it in for Sally to see but I will. We are supposed to meet at Knitting Central on Tuesday evening to finish the sock up but I am not sure I can make it because of another class that will be going on with a teacher I am not fond of. I posted about it in February and she taught the Finishing Class.
Anyway back to what I wanted to post today. The pics I want to post are of the wonderful cake my DH got me for my birthday which was a sock shapped cake with pink and lavender buttercream icing. There were bananas with banana cream and chocolate cake inside. I am so glad I wasnt sick for that! Then I have a picture of the bag that I designed and crocheted for my grandmothers birthday present. I was up until the wee hours of the (Sunday) morning finishing that baby up. No one could believe that I actually designed it myself. I mean they did believe me but it came out so good that it even surprised me for a free form design. Maybe I should submit it to something for publishing?

On Sunday the 22nd, my actual birthday, my husband had to go to the emergency room. My cousin drove him at my urging because the surgical site where he had squamous cell carcinoma removed was so swollen and hot to the touch and it was streaking (red marks going up his arm indicating a bad infection). He wanted ME to lance it!! I mean I know how to do stuff like that because I am a nurse just like him but I didnt want to screw it up and its a good thing I didnt because the culture they took of the stuff they drained out (pus, gross I know) and it came back as MRSA positive which is not a good thing. It means that the infection is METHICILLIN RESISTANT STAPH AUREUS and highly contagious. I have had patients with this and before going into their rooms you have to gown and glove up not to spread it around and also that you dont get it yourself. He had to see the infection control Doc at the hospital and there is a list of things he has to do every day to eradicate it from his system. He has to scrub the wound and his body with Phisohex (Chlorhexadine antibacterial/viral soap), wrap it up (the wound) so no one comes into contact with it, use a antibacterial nasal swab because MRSA bacteria can harbor in the nasal passages, & take a FEW antibiotics to put it mildly! The Dr who did his surgery also has to go through the gamut and get his whole office staff screened to make sure he isnt spreading it to his patients (which is what I think is happening). There is a protocol that has to be followed so they can eradicate this infection otherwise he cant return to work especially since he works with immunocompromized patients. The Doc also said that the kids and I dont have to worry about anything as long as we wash our hands and that my DH and I should not have any 'contact' for at least a week. All I have to say is thank God I am sick because then its not an issue! LOL Now my darling husband has to be home until at least May 15th. He can return only when all the cultures and blood results no longer show MRSA. I like when he has days off but thats a long time to be home. I hope we dont strangle each other.

Some good news: I received my April Sock Kit from BMFA!! I dont have pictures (yet) but if you dont want to be spoiled stop reading my descrption of the kit here.
SPOILER ALERT~stop reading this paragraph (if you dare!)
The kit came with the Dyers notes, Footnotes, the pattern itself, and of course the yarn and the emergency sock yarn key chain. The yarn is SILKIE SOCKS THAT ROCK which the label states is 89% Superwash Merino and 19% Silk. Yes, the numbers dont add up to well but dont ask me! LOL It looks handspun and I am sure its going to feel like heaven on my foot. The color is called WALKING ON THE WILD TIDE which was not a secret due to the naming contest they had for the other yarns in the tide family. Its got teal, purple, tan, brown and blues in it from looking at it in the skein. I havent spun it up yet but I am sure it will look a lot different when in a yarn cake. The pattern name is called "Knee High to a Grasshopper" and it gives you the choice of making it a knee sock if so desired. I think that the BM ladies should have given us 2 skeins if they offered both patterns but thats just my opinion. Also this is a toe up pattern done on 2 circulars. I dont do 2 circs, I am a Magic Loop Lady so thats how I am going to do it. I do like toe ups and have gotten a bit addicted to that method of making socks lately.

Hopefully in my next post I will feel well enough to get these pictures on my blog. I almost forgot to add that I finished my BM socks from the Feb kit on Tuesday! Thay came out fabulous and I cant wait to show you all. I havent been able to knit all day because I was to dizzy to focus so I am going to make myself some broth with a tiny bit of noodles and see if that helps.

Spring Break

My kids have had off this past week for Spring Break. We didnt go away even though we certainly need a vacation but took them to some interesting places instead. First we went to the Peabody Museum in New Haven which is also known as the Museum of Natural History. My DD was anxious to see the dinosaur bones moreso then my son. The whole place is being redone so its very dark and dusty in various places but overall the kids enjoyed themselves.


Tuesday night I had my Baby Argyle Sock Class.

This is not my sock but the wonderful knitter, Donna, sitting next to me. She is a very fast knitter and really good. I was struggling for some reason getting holes in between where the colors changed. I seem to have a problem with intarsia which is strange because I didnt have issues when I did the Fair Isle Hat. Its perplexing but I am going to continue to complete the homework before the next class on Tues. Sally, the teacher, offered to help me but we were unable to meet up so I e-mailed her and told her that I am going to pull some tricks out of my knitting bag and get it done.

The following day we met my Dad and his friend at the Norwalk Maritime Aquarium and had a great time. My favorite was the Sea Turtles.

Arent they cute? These guys are HUGE and its amazing to see them up close. They had a bunch of IMAX movies running but the only one we were able to see was the OCEAN WONDERS. Let me tell you, I have seen many IMAX movies and not one of them was bad. EVEREST was my all time favorite but this one was soooooo utterly boring I almost fell asleep. We all rode the Spongebob ride that they advertise on TV when they do ads for the aquarium. Thats one of those rides that stand still and the chair you are sitting in moves as you look at the screen in front of you. They have all these warnings for pregnant women and people who have back problems or heart issues and get motion sickness which made me very nervous. I decided to rise above my fear (sounds silly right?), pop an anti-anxiety pill under my tongue (haha!) and go on the ride with everyone else on line under the age of 7!! After all the hype it wasnt bad at all. I used to be able to ride all kinds of rides when I was in college but after my back surgery in 2003 I get very nervous when there are a ton of warnings posted outside a ride. My 4 year old son loved it the most. If a 4 year old can do it what the heck was I afraid of? LOL.

Yesterday I FINALLY mailed my DH's co-worker the baby kimono that I finished a few weeks ago. See, I do finish projects! It has some green in it because its BLUE SKY COTTON ORGANIC COTTON. That happens to be one of the colors for Project Spectrum for the months of Apr/May!


Last night we went to a dinner party that a Dr friend of my DH's has every year. The couple that I had made the pink Kimono for in December sat at the same table with us and couldnt stop thanking me for the beautiful hand knitted kimono I made. They even called it a kimono when they thanked me. It was so kind of them and it made me feel so good about making things for other people. Its one of the main reasons why I like to knit so much. The Yarn Harlot describes it perfectly in her new book that I finally got my hands on yesterday at Borders. It was the only copy on the shelf and I think I did a jig when I found it! LOL. I wanted to be able to read it before I go see her in May.


Tomorrow is my 36th birthday and my DH decided to give me my gift early. I was so surprised when I opened it up and found a new lens for my camera and a camera case! Not only is is a camera case but a small backpack case that holds the camera and all the paraphernalia that you use with it. There is room for the lenses, wires, batteries, instruction booklets and everything else you can think of. The lens he bought is a macro lens that you can zoom in big time with. I cant remember the exact type it is but I think its 75-300mm. I got some awesome pictures with it today.

This purple flower belongs to my neighbor who is an excellent gardener. I am so happy that spring has actually arrived so I took a few pictures that symbolized Spring to me.



These are Tibetan Prayer flags that are in my neighbors backyard. They are so pretty even though I dont know what they say!


This little Quaker Parrot was playing hide and seek with me. I took so many of him and his friend but this one was the cutest of them all.


Here is my Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock in the most gorgeous colors I have ever seen. Not pictured is the Tube Sock Kit which is cotton yarn in 3 different colors. I'll make a regular sock out of it because I am not a tube sock fan. Its a great sock for summer knitting. Right after I placed my order on April 8th they came out with a bunch of new colors. I was so tempted to call them and ask them to add some to my order but the sock club shippment is going out between the 23rd-25th so thats going to be enough for me for a while.


This is a picture of my DD. I took her by surprise and she didnt realize I was taking a picture of her. She was in the middle of eating lunch which explains the food in her mouth.

In my own words

Blogs, thats the topic at the moment. I didnt think I would write about this but I must. Its the reason I started a blog so I can record my feelings and emotions and by doing so it makes me feel better. It started when I was in high school and a teacher told us that the best therapy one could do for oneself was to keep a journal to record whatever we wanted so that it would be our own private therapy session. You know what, it worked. I have kept a written journals for many years dating back to the eighties. They are all in order of year in the back of my closet so when I need to go back for reference I can. I dont fear anyone reading them because my family respects my privacy so I write anything and everything in them. I am missing one journal from 1998 that was lost when we moved into this house the in June of 2005.
During this time many were starting blogs. I had no idea what a blog was and I really didnt want one. In 2003 I became a member of an online community for growing long hair that allows its members to keep online private and public journals. This is when I started to "blog". When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in Feb. of 2006 I decided that the time was right for me to record my life on a public blog. My reason for doing so was more than doing it for me because I already had a private journal that only members of the long hair community had access to and I also kept a handwritten one that I keep next to my bed. I wanted to be able to help other young women like myself who find themselves in the position I was in. I was a 34 year young woman, with 2 small children, not married quite that long to my best friend and having a terminal illness. I thought that it would help these women and other readers who came to my blog and said, I know how she feels and I am not alone because there are others that feel the same way I do. I started blogging on March 8, 2006, a few days after my lumpectomy which was to be the 1st of my many surgeries to come. I received e-mails and comments from other women thanking me for saying things that they were afraid to say. It felt good to be doing something that benefited me and others. In the beginning I started out with the name CURLYBRUNETTE'S STORY OF SURVIVAL because thats what it was, my story of surviving cancer. Fifty or so posts ago I changed the name to KNIT HAPPENS because I didnt want to keep focusing all my time on my cancer. I am more than my cancer and I do have interests that I like to talk about, one of them being Knitting.

I received lots of feedback from family and friends saying what a great blog I had and that they loved the pictures and such. Many cancer survivors still came to read it even though I changed the title.

In the middle of my treatment I began to e-mail a friend that I made through an Online Mothers who Breastfeed Group back in 2000 when my daugher was born. We had the opportunity to meet up while on vacation in 2004 and after that vacation we e-mailed every month or so. Like I said I e-mailed her in the middle of my treatment and we began to talk again without any problems or issues. I sent her to my blog so she would be able to catch up with things and see what I was going through without me rehashing all of it. We were always honest with one another and told things like they were. It was difficult to hurt our feelings, we were pretty tough cookies. Out of the blue she asks if she can be honest with me and I say sure, not thinking what she is going to say is going to be so hurtful that it would start a huge arguement between us. She then starts to say that she is afraid to say things to me for fear she might unintentionally hurt my feelings and that she is thinking this way because of the 'numerous' times mentioned in my blog where I have been angry at people for reasons that she states in her eyes, "were not that bad". She also says that she doesnt want to be a friend that I oust out of my life because she says the wrong thing. OK, I have no idea where this is comming from because I have never said to her, "what you said really bothered me" because she never did and I didnt have to say anything like that. So at this moment I am confused. I am also confused because I have never ousted a friend of mine, they just havent called me thats all. I have had people call me after not hearing from them for a long time and I dont hold a grudge, I speak to them and I am kind and compassionate like they have been calling me on a regular basis. The statement that really angered me was the one where she said that there were numerous times where I was angry at things that she didnt think were that bad and that she wouldnt have been angry or upset at them. I ask her for examples of this and after e-mailing several times back and forth she produces 2 things I said in a post from back in June of 2006 called MAJOR COMPLAINTS. In the post I go into detail about CERTAIN people who say things when you are sick like, "If there is anything I can do" and "Things will get better". In the post I explain why these 2 statements upset me and its long so I hate to rehash it now but you can look it up and see that I said this while I was under duress. I was getting dose dense chemotherapy which is the most drug a person can take without killing them, and I was still recovering from surgery and developed lymphedema in my left arm where I had lymph nodes removed. No matter what I said she shouldnt have passed judgement on me by saying what she said. I told her that she is not me and she didnt go through what I did so how could she know how she would feel? Before I got cancer I would never be able to say something like that to someone. Its just not right and it makes no sense to me why she would say it. She then said that this is what she was afraid would happen that I would get mad and angry and that I was attacking her now after I told her that it was OK to tell me how she felt and to be honest with me. I dont think that I am the one thats wrong in this matter just because I expressed my feelings over what CERTAIN people were saying. I wasnt even referring to her when I stated these things because we werent even speaking at that time. I almost forgot the 3rd thing she said I was overly sensitive to. It was a post I made a couple of days ago when I got a haircut and the hairstylist said some screwed up stuff to me. In the post I also included the fact that the stylist said MANY things that I didnt record in the post. I made the point that she hurt my feelings by what she said and thats it. Out of the 125 posts in this blog there are not many negative ones. I always try and look at the positive in a situation. We are not referring to the posts about my sister and my family because thats my business and no one elses. I thought the other posts were also my business but apparently I was wrong and I have to hold my tongue because this 'friend' of mine is afraid of something that hasnt even happened yet. I have never flamed her before or said that something she said hurt me so I think she is paranoid. She keeps bringing up whats going on NOW WITH THIS SITUATION AS PROOF OF ME FLAMING HER and thats totally unfair because she started it. She didnt have to 'be honest' with me. How did this benefit us? It didnt and now I want nothing to do with her because of it. I dont need friends like that who are going to make me physically sick and make me throw up all night and lose sleep because of having an opinion about something that she thinks "isnt that bad". Like I said before, "HOW THE HELL CAN SHE KNOW THAT IT WOULDNT BOTHER HER IF SHE ISNT ME AND HASNT BEEN THROUGH WHAT I HAVE??" She as also worried about being a topic in my blog and I told her that it wouldnt happen and that I wouldnt do that to her. Guess what? She hurt me like no other friend has hurt me before so I must write it in my blog, she left me no choice. I wont post names or locations because I am not a jerk and I am not doing this to get her in any way. I am doing this to make myself feel better and to share what happened with someone who called themselves my friend when they were nothing but a passive-aggressive liar who can rot in hell with the rest of my so called 'friends' that have abandoned me.

I am a member of the Young Survival Coalition ( www.youngsurvival.org ) and I went to them to ask about this situation. They were extremely supportive and helpful. Many told me that they had been in similar situations and had to break friendships because of it. Others said that I have matured and grown out of the friendship and that she (my so called friend) was immature and not going to get it because she hadnt walked a mile in my shoes. I sent my 'friend' the link to the site and no e-mails have come to my inbox since. I cant say I am happy over losing a friend but it was her own doing and she refused to own up to what she said and apologize. I made a decision a long time ago not to allow toxic people in my life and thats exactly what I am doing. Good bye to bad rubbish.

The New Blogger, UGGHH!!! The Yarn Harlot, Yay!!!

I cant tell you how hard it was for me to log into my blogger account just now. I have been trying to access it for 45 minutes to an hour without any results until 5 minutes ago. Since it is the new version of blogger you need a Google account and I didnt have that nor did I switch my blog over to beta. Call me lazy or resistant to change but I was happy with what I had so I didnt change it. THEY decided to change it for me so there lies the problema. I am happy that its fixed and I can now post because I have awesome news!!

I am going to see the YARN HARLOT when she comes to The WEBS Store in Massachussetts!!! You can see all about it if you go to the WEBS site: www.yarn.com I am so excited about it I cant wait! Right now I am trying to see if anyone will go with me but since its in the middle of the week its hard for most people who would have to get off work to go. I will have to wait to get her book unless I bring my own copy for her to sign with me. I am anxious to read it but the bookstores around here dont seem to have it at the moment. After the talk she is giving at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center, WEBS is having the book signing in their store and all kinds of yarn sales! This is a great opportunity for me to get the yarn I need for the shawl class I am taking with Jane Elliot in June. Heck, you name it, WEBS has it. They are a MEGA yarn store so I am getting my list together. Do you think there will be some sock yarn on the list?? LOL

Next week I have my first class for the Baby Argyle Sock with Sally (Queen of Socks). I'm excited about it and hope I can adapt the pattern to an adults foot. I am almost ready to Kitchner one of the Dr's socks and I am finally on the leg of the Blue Moon Monsoon Socks. Right on time for the next shippment hopefully to arrive the end of the month. I am almost ready to turn the heel on the yellow socks.

Today is my Grandmothers birthday and I havent finished her gift yet. Since we are expecting a nor'Easter tomorrow we are not planning a party for her tomorrow. My Mom wants to do it next Sunday which happens to be my birthday. She wants to do it together. Well, maybe I am being selfish but I wanted a cake with just my name on it. I think I have earned it since the past birthdays have all sucked for reasons I dont have to go into. I think you all know what I am referring to. Back to my socks...

Exactly One Year Ago

I thought I was prepared for my hair loss but I wasnt prepared for the shock that comes with it coming out. No one can prepare you for that. I know that my hair was just one of my physical features but it was one that I was very proud of and had for a very long time. It made me different from many other women my age because it was very curly and long by todays standards and past my waist. My goal was to grow it past my behind and it had been growing for about 5 years before I was diagnosed with cancer. It was 31" when I cut it to my shoulders. I then went shorter to my chin and then further up behind my ears. When I buzzed it last week I thought that would be the worse of it but this is. When I thought about the worse possible thing that could happen to me I thought about the people who would lose their hair to chemo and think that had to be the worst. I hoped that would never be me. Today, I feel like I am in a nightmare and cant wake up because it is me going through chemo and losing my hair. I guess there can be much worse things that can be happening but right now I cant think of any.

Exactly one year ago today I wrote this entry in my blog. Its funny because yesterday I went for a trim. Kind of ironic, dont you think? My hair has grown so much since losing it to chemo one year ago its hard to believe I lost it all just by looking at me. It didnt actually start to grow until August 2006 but it has grown a lot. If I didnt get so many trims I bet it would be touching my shoulders by now! I wasnt to happy with the way the girl cut my hair yesterday. She kept saying some annoying things to that got me a bit upset. One thing that pissed me off was a comment she made about how getting a terminal illness makes you look at your life and see how you have F-cked up in the past and are 'woken' up by having such a life altering disease and are given a second chance by getting through it. She gave the example of a family member of hers that was an A-hole and then was involved in a very serious car accident and then turned his life around. Well, let me tell you something you ignorant jerk. I wasnt an A-Hole before I got cancer, hell before all my illnesses started in 2000, so what you are saying doesnt apply to me. As a matter of fact I dont think that anyone gets cancer for a reason, there is no reason for getting such a messed up disease unless you were Hitler in a past life. Now I know in a past post I made about one year ago I say that cancer was the best thing that ever happened to me. I meant it in a different way then she was referring. It made me look at MY life and see what was really important like my kids and family and my health. She was giving examples of people who were living their life in the fast lane, doing drugs and crazy sh*t. I have never done anything like that or tempted fate or had a death wish like she said her relative had. Just to clear up some confusion. All kidding aside, I was so mad at her stupidity that I WILL NOT go back to get my hair cut there again. I dont even care if they have awesome stylists, I'm going somewhere else. See what happens when you open your mouth and spew ignorance. She said some other dumb ass things and everything I said she corrected me like my opinions and what I was saying was wrong. Hey, shut up and cut my hair. Your supposed to kiss my ass and agree with what I am saying not piss me off so I never come back again, When I left there my hair looked so bad that I had to put my head under the faucet, wet it down and do it over. When I say horrible, I mean terrible. I asked her to straighten it and she only halfway straightened it so it was sticking up everywhere. I regret that I didnt take a picture of it in that state. I probably looked better bald than I did when I left there yesterday. I vow right here and now not to get my hair cut for at least 3-4 months or until it looks totally sloppy and raggy and I cant do a thing with it. Maybe I can try and wait until the AVON WALK in October? I am going to try my best.

Easter 2007, Socks & Yarn

On Easter Sunday we went to my cousins house for dinner where I had the opportunity to take some great pictures. The eggs were dyed at my house by the kids, my DH and I. The tulips were on the dinner table at my cousins house and the scattered railway pieces were my sons doing! I thought it would make an interesting picture.






These are salt and pepper shakers that a fellow blogger and doxie lover sent me. How sweet is that. To thank her I sent her a secret package in the mail today and of course I cant say what was in it otherwise it wouldnt be a surprise.


These socks were started a couple of days ago because I just had to cast on something yellow in honor of Project Spectrums colors for April/May: Yellow, Green and Pink. They are toe up (short row) and I am using (what else), Artyarns Supermerino with a size 2 Addi Turbo. I first started it on size 2 DPN's which are a bit smaller than the Addi's (2.75mm compared to 3mm). This yarn is so versatile that I have used needles ranging in size from a 2 all the way up to a 6. My Dad's socks were made with a size 5 needle. This pattern was taken from the second book by Charlene Schurch, MORE SENSATIONAL KNITTED SOCKS. Its an awesome book and I highly recommend to any sock knitter.


These are almost done! I finished one last week and am currently on the foot of the second. I am hoping that I will be done before the next BMFA Sock Club shippment arrives. I also have a few extra skeins of Socks that Rock in some gorgeous colorways on the way here before the next shippment comes. The 10% off coupon was just screaming to be used and I had to obey! LOL.


Here is some Koigu Kersti in a mix of colors which include some Project Spectrum colors for Apr/May and Blue Sky Cotton in a citrus/cantaloupe color I couldnt resist. The Blue Sky Cotton is going to be a baby sweater for my cousins little girl who turns 1 this summer. I had purchased some Schaefer Elaine yarn in a beautiful green called KERMIE (yes, I need to get a picture) to make my other cousins baby boy a sweater. He is a couple of weeks older than her so of course I had to make them both something for their 1st birthday. I have plenty of time so I dont have to worry about these just yet.


My Grandmothers bag that I am crocheting for her birthday is coming along nicely. I designed it myself and I am hoping it comes out like the picture in my head! LOL. I am starting work on the side panels tonight and then all I have to do is complete the strap, seam it up and maybe decorate the front triangular panel depending on my mood.