Knit-a-bit

So, I was able to finish a few knitted goodies AND take some pics!

Here we go... Monkey Socks!








Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A.
Yarn: Fleece Artist Nova Sock in Raspberry
Needles: KP Options 2.5mm 32" circs
Mods: none, I love 'em!


And... a Calorimetry for a friend.



She loved the vintage button choice too - perfect for her Hippieness. ;)



Pattern: Calorimetry from Knitty
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden - color?
Mods: I lightly felted after knitting. It made the Silk Garden really soft with the lightest halo.

And finally, I tried out one of those sweater shaver thingys. I thought it was shear genius, but then the motor died, and it wound up cutting the yarn #$@%#! Of course I tried it on my most worn scarf. It desperately needing de-pilling, and the damage is halted, but it still urked me.


He's the pilly goodness:



And the at-first-glance fantastic shaver... before it went haywire. Look at all that fuzz!



And the finished surface. It's gorgeous!



So I suppose, I'd try another sweater shaver model, but probably not one out of Target's clearance section. It worked REALLY well, until the motor crapped out and it snagged a stitch thus cutting the yarn. Choose carefully, Grasshopper. They're wonderful, but stop de-pilling when/if the motor slows! I'd be happy to hear if you've ever tried one of the gadgets.

Now, back to studying. Cheerio!

where has all the knitting gone?

Don't you hate how real life gets in the way of knitting?! The big-fat classroom program-specific portion of my training started this week... and just as everyone warned, it's really really really intense. It isn't anything I can't comprehend but it is a ton of information and work all at once. 4 months of this then 8 months of straight clinical work at the Big Fancy University Hospital, then the National Boards. Really, this is the home stretch after all the waiting lists and pre-requisite coursework. I'm so relieved that it's finally begun, but I CAN'T KNIT! Maybe once I get in to the swing of the routine...

Since some folks just don't have any idea what exactly it is I'm learning to do, here's some pics of the basic idea... I won't bore you with all the gory details... or at least not too many. ;)

We inject radioactivity (usually tagged to a pharmaceutical) into the patient. It only looks huge... that's a lead syringe cover. The dose is actually pretty small:

Then make pictures of the insides of folks like this (a heart) that shows how much blood is supplied to the heart tissue during rest and during stress. This is good at telling where and how bad damage is following a heart attack or blocked coronary arteries:



And this (a bone scan) that can show all sorts of things from arthritis to cancer depending on the scan. It basically shows places where the bone is busy healing or something is busy growing. A bone scan can even detect a super small fracture that can't be seen by an x-ray:



Using one of these (gamma camera) which is way different than an x-ray or CT machine. This camera reads the radiation emitted from the patient... the others make pictures by shooting radiation through the patient to the film or other receptor (kinda like making shadow puppets or sunprints) :


What's so cool about all of this? It's different than x-rays, CT, ultrasound, MRI and all those other modalities that make awesome pictures of your anatomy. Our pictures are kinda blurry and weird in comparison, but they can measure the actual function of your organs! How cool is that?! And it's usually less radiation to the patient. Nuclear Medicine is what finally told my doctor that it was my gallbladder making be barf all the time... the thing wasn't working much at all! CT made really pretty pictures of it. Ultrasound showed that I didn't have gallstones. But neither could show that the thing just plain wasn't working. And a gallbladder that isn't working can make you really ill, especially after eating anything fun like fried food. So we decided to part ways... I love my internal organs, but I like not hurling after eating a plate of fries much more.

But anyway, Nuc Med made me feel much better, so I thought it'd be a pretty cool job. And no, I won't glow in the dark. ;)

glad tidings

Wishing good tidings to you and yours
throughout the winter season!

And don't forget to knit...

Pattern: The Santa Hat from Handknit Holidays: Knitting Year-Round for Christmas, Hanukkah, and Winter Solstice by Melanie Falick
Yarns: Mission Falls 1824 and Rowan Big Wool
Needles: US8 (5.0mm) and US11 (8.0mm)

An uber-quick knit at about 5 hours. I had to go old-school and form a pompom maker with cardboard scraps, so I'm pretty happy that it actually worked well with minimal snipping and shaping. I haven't made one of those things since, what, 5th grade? Oy.

The pattern is well written, even the bobble directions. Bobbles tend to give the creeps, but I like them as the trim to this hat. No mods, although I'd actually like to see the bobbles slightly larger, or maybe the body of the hat a bit longer just for kicks. This is also the first I've knit with Mission Falls and it is delightful and a cinch to knit. The Big Wool is as Big Wool does. It looks great as a ball of yarn, but I don't really care for a full-on project using the stuff. This trim was a perfect role for it.

In a few hours the holiday madness will commence, but now, time for some quiet sock knitting and a nice steamy mocha. Maybe with a bit of marshmallow fluff.

Cheers!

A very good year

It's taken until today before I could post. I've just been too darn sad.

Matilda, aka Tilly Sue, Tillis-bacillis, my fickle pickle, passed away the afternoon of Tuesday October 30th.

Tilly's evil cancer appeared in the summer of 2006. The first tumors were removed, and within one month, they returned. I did not want to put her through a second surgery, one that would have been even more invasive that the first that nearly killed her. It didn't look good. We didn't think she would make it to that Christmas, so the last year has been a true gift.

We studied and selected several immuno-boosting supplements and completely changed Tilly's diet to be free of grains and carbs. The growth of the tumors slowed to a snail's pace. My veterinarian even presented Tilly's case at a conference on cancer in cats and dogs. I'll write the specifics in a later post, but the treatment path we created truly beat the dismal odds we were handed. I want to gather all the info for anyone facing a similar diagnosis with their furry faced friend. I'm so pleased to have found an alternative way to approach the illness. We couldn't make the cancer disappear, but we gave it one hell of a fight. Until the last few weeks, Matilda was strong, happy, and, other than the bastard tumors, she was healthy.

I wouldn't do it any other way. It was a very good year.

candy corn is served

They're acutally done BEFORE Halloween! Ahhhh... candy corn.... yum.

The short row heels nearly killed me, but now I know how to work them. I love the junction of the two-color heel, stripes, and honeycomb but it's pretty tricky to get it lined up well and not be riddled with gaps - maybe it's just me. I considered doing a heel flap and gusset but I adore the design as written so I went for it. There's a few wonky stitches around the heel, but overall I'm very pleased with the final product. They fit well, but the short row heel doesn't hug my foot as closely as a heel flap.

The leg has the acutal 'honeycomb' stitches. When not on my chubby calves, they acutally look like honeycomb! ;) The black stripes on the leg have a purl ridge that makes the textured frame of the honeycomb cells, but I may actually prefer the foot stitch pattern. While similar, it doesn't use the purl ridge so it's a smooth surface.

This is the first time I worked with Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn and it was a complete treat! I understand the rabid following the yarn has amassed. The Fortissima Socka is a bit thinner than CTH, and certainly more coarse while knitting, but it softened up nicely after a wash. Keep this in mind for a decent inexpensive sock yarn. After washing CTH was even softer with a bit of a haze. Very pretty for a colorway that I would normally avoid like the plague!


Here, sunning themselves on a pretty afternoon.

Heel and sole detail - I love the stripes!

...and on my lucky feet. Pay no attention to the wonky short row stitch. I was so totally fed up with the technique that I decided to live with it. It was the first of the pair - the second was much more friendly to me.


In case you're interested:

Pattern: Honeycomb Socks by Kindred Spirits Design Studio
Yarn: CTH Supersock (Sugar Maple) & Fortissima Socka (Black)
Needles: US 2 (2.75mm)