Stress Knitting

Or should I say stressed out knitting? Thanks to CB the blog has been maintained during the period of flux the entire Guild has been caught up in.

For me the flux started May 9th. My beloved FIL had a massive stroke and we spent the next 2 1/2 weeks making difficult decisions and saying good bye to him. While caught up in this emotional situation, I had lots of time to knit. Some of my knitting was better than others. Since I am not as skilled as CB, my pictures are not in the correct order.

When we first got to Duluth, I was still in the "use up the nasty blue yarn phase". My third and I hope final project with the blue yarn was a youth size top down vest. I decided to seed stitch it in an attempt to use up more yarn. It still needs the neck ribbing done, I hope to finish it this week.Then it is going in the Silent Auction box and lord I hope someone buys it.

I also worked on the Chocolate cover cherry sock. I have vowed that this is my very last pair of socks ever. (I did yarn inventory and I still have enough sock yarn for 3 pairs of socks---how did that happen?). I finished the first sock and got the second one past the heel flap. For those of us who are sock knitters, that is a LOT of knitting. I have not touched them since getting home from Hayward.
Once we got Fritz to hospice in Hayward I had access to Pine Needles (a delightful yarn store). My SIL and I made 2 trips out there. The first time we picked up the yarn for a felted tote. As the situation grew more stressful with my FIL I knit faster and faster. Good thing it was a simple project. My SIL did a nice job picking out colors for the bag and with NK's help, I got it felted.

Finally, while at Pine Needles, I got yarn for yet another baby sweater. My SIL helped me pick out a nice green variegated yarn, that I trimmed with the left over lime green from her hand bag. Looks really sweet. I have the button bands to put on today and weave in the ends. While at Pine Needles I bought yarn for a bulky baby sweater (Cascade 109 tweed--pink) and my Island project. I guess buying yarn helped me deal with the situation with my FIL. Better than alcohol? (oh, yeah I had plenty of that to take the edge off too).

School is out, my stress has transferred to ASJ (I am so sorry for that). I am happy to be done with school. ZT is in Germany and GBT in Green Bay for the summer. So all I have to do is trek MMT to her travel soccer games and knit. I can do that.

Thanks Guild girls for all your support last month, I would not have survived with out you.

NK: the baking with GBT

CB: the patio, thank you, I was avoiding that.

ASJ: all the phone calls just when I need to hear the voice of reason.

Postphoned

New countdown has begun!

Flux: a continuous moving on or passing by

Yes, well we are in a state of “flux.” Some good, bad, sad, necessary, unnecessary, you name, we have it.

Our sympathy to CT’s family. Her father-in-law did pass away Memorial Day weekend, after suffering a massive stroke. They had a funeral on Wednesday (out of town), and ZT’s graduation party on Saturday. GT came home, and with a steady hand, directed family & friends. The house was cleaned, bars were baked, yard mulched, plants planted, etc. The girl is management material, and we love her dearly! She also has some bad boo boo’s on her feet . . . we are sending her kisses to make it better (it will work much better if taken with liberal amounts of alcohol). Don’t tell your mother.

Now our dear ASJ “fluxing.” Her mother in law’s c ancer has taken it’s toll, and she is not expected to survive thru the weekend. She also had MJ’s graduation party on Sunday, and her husband has scheduled his back surgery for next week! The dear man has been in pain for a long time. He needs to get it done ASAP (urgent does not even begin to cover it).

We did have an emergency guild meeting last night and in all probability we will be delaying our trip to the island. But fear not. But not to fear. If we delay, it has already been decided that 1). we ditch the men; 2). we plan on going for a full week. “There is more than one way to skin a cat” as they say. The lake will be warmer, we will be there for longer, we have choices of sitting on the beach knitting and tanning, or sitting in the porch where it will be cooler (and closer to the beverages).

So the guild carries on and cares for each other, all with knitting needles and yarn in our hands!

Fini & Congratulations All The Way Around!

Well they are done. All four have graduated from high school. YEAH!!!!!!! It was an absolutely beautiful day . . . . warm and sunny. Congratulations Ryan, Zachary, Maari & Krista. We are all very proud of you.
P.S. Two grad parties left to go . . . Pray for sunny skies!

Wow!

Ummm . . . Yes we did go. And yes we do have photos. But I am waiting for the camera cable from NK! We did have an awesome time at the Festival. I picked up some alpaca (600 yards for $24 x4) for a sweater. Alpaca, be still my heart. Three huge buildings filled with homespun and commercial yarn. We will definitely go again. It is a wonderful event!

CT was not able to attend. Her father in law had a massive stroke. It is an incredibly sad and stressful situation. Say a prayer for our friend and her family. Graduation, end of the school year all are looming on the horizon also.

Then we have ASJ, whose mother in law fell and broke not one but two hips! So ASJ is her tremendous patient advocate! ASJ’s husband needs to have back surgery soon, and her daughter fell and broke her tail bone. Again Graduation is looming.

My BIL was admitted to United on Friday, with blood pressure of 53 over 0 (I did not know that was possible), and kidney failure, he is 48. So I spent the weekend with my sister. Whew! Then there was a blood clot thrown in for good measure. They are both doing well. However I got nothing done at home. I am sure it will all be fine. Again Graduation is looming.

NK is the only one who did not have an immediate family member in the hospital. Thank God!. Graduation looming.

Graduation Party One is on Monday evening, Graduation Party Two is a week from Saturday. Graduation is on June 1. Graduation Parties Three and Four will be the following weekend, Saturday and Sunday respectfully. Yeah, we thought it was cool we all had seniors . . .

Oh yeah, and the cabin trip is on the horizon.

Mother's Day Weekend Trip

Shepherd's Harvest Sheep & Wool Festival! ASJ has wanted to go for some time now. Looks like she will get her wish! DETOUR. We were planning on Color Crossing, Yarn Garage & Borealis. But I proposed that we stop there first! Steven will be there, so that's a plus. There will be home spun and commercial yarn available, fuzzy yarn bearing animals, books & patterns, plus much, much more. So why would we not go, when we are travelling in that direction anyway?

I am looking for some yarn for my Island Project. Both ASJ & NK have there projects ready to go. CT and myself . . . not so much. I think I know what I will be knitting. But I have to pick up some yarn. Plus I will of course be taking sock yarn. My sock yarn stash needs to be bulked up bit. I am looking for some simple brown yarn for a cable sock pattern. Then for the heels and toes I have some very pretty variegated brown/pink/white yarn. Cables just look so much better to me when they are knit on a single color. Other wise it's gets too busy for me (Call me Plain Jane).

Project #2

I have finished my second project out of the dreaded blue sweater yarn. I think it turned out really cute. I knit it on larger needles and I made the biggest size, complete with the hood to try to use us as much yarn as possible. Look how much I still have left. I think I have enough for one more sweater. Yikes, I bought a lot of blue yarn.

I am really excited for our pre Mother's Day yarn adventure. What a great gift to ourselves. Time together as the Guild and yarn shopping, what a perfect day!