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    phlox socks sneak peek
  • Phlox Socks - the Robyn's Nest June Sock Club
  • Pattern will be for sale as of October 1 2008
    (You can email me or leave a comment and I will notify you when the pattern is available.)
I Want to Knit
Monday, February 27, 2006

I did cheat for a little while though. This is the back of the DKNY Enchanted Forest cardigan. When I picked it up I was where the lowest orange marker is (over on the right side). I managed to complete 5 rows in about 2 hours (134 sts per row). I realized that I wasn't REALLY in the mood for having to painstakingly follow a chart and would stop after every row and watch 15 minutes of TV in defiance.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 7:03 pm   1 comments

I got guilted by the fact that the right front cardigan piece was only 30-ish rows from completion, so I finished it before moving on. Ignore the laundry on the side, it's clean. In this pic you see the completed back and the 2 completed front pieces. Next: sleeves!
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 7:02 pm   0 comments
Don't Tell the Homespun Jacket...
...but I'm feeling a bit adulterous. After spending so much time with the LBHJ and it's miles and miles of stockinette, I'm feeling the need for some complication in my life. I think I'm going to spend the afternoon with the DKNY Enchanted Forest cardigan.

I'll post pics of both tonight.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 1:20 pm   0 comments
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Stupid Broken Gallery Links
Well, I spent most of last night creating a gallery for my stuff. I decided to start with the wips because there are fewer of them than FOs. (Thank God!) You can check out the gallery so far over there in the sidebar. It was working fine until I added more pics and folders, and now I've got a bunch of broken links. I'm trying to fix it, waiting for a reply from the JAlbum forum users.

Shelley- thanks for commenting! Please comment again (or email me) with your blog address so I can add you over there and come visit you.

Mz Mar- you're in there too, I added you a few moments ago!

Spent the day today going up north. We're doing the engagement party there in April, and had to finalize a couple of decorating choices for the room. Yannick drove and my parents came in the car which meant that I had an hour and a half drive up (stopping for coffee on the way) and a 2 hour drive back (traffic) to relax and knit. Last night I'd restarted the ribbing for the right front piece of the Homespun cardi, and got up to row 33 or 56 or something. I worked on it in the car and am somewhere near 100 rows. At 118 I start with the v-neck shaping, and at 169 I do the short rows in prep for a 3ndl BO instead of later seaming the shoulders together. I'm hoping to finish tonight and get started on the sleeves. After all this stockinette I'm dying to work on some complicated cables or Fair Isle, but I'm forcing myself to finish this first. Spring will be here soon and I really want to wear this jacket, it feels like it will be really comfy!
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 8:55 pm   0 comments
Saturday, February 25, 2006
16? I Need to Fix That
I'm still thinking about this. 16 people read my blog? I can't be satisfied with that.

So what will it take? Now that I have daytime internet I have more time to be hands-on. So... give me your ideas!

Will it take swaps? Contests? Prizes? More knitting content? More personal content?

People. I need people. (Ahem. According to Barbara, doesn't that make me one of the "luckiest people"?)
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 2:21 pm   2 comments
Posting From Work
Woo hoo! This is my first post from work! I successfully needled my dad repeatedly until he let me get internet access hooked up to the store. We still don't have call waiting, but you can email me! I also have msn here, so I've had fun being able to chat with friends and family while working. I find I'm more productive right now...but that's probably just my opinion.

To Kai- do you have a blog? I added you to the side there but now I'm thinking that you do have a blog under another name. Or am I crazy?

To Ruby- I added you over there too. Thanks for reading me!

To Christine- I didn't know you could get that info from Bloglines. Hmm... 16 people does cheer me up... where are all you guys? Leave me a comment with your blog so I can check you out too!

Now that I think about it, there are hundreds of thousands of people who are subscribed to Bloglines. I have 16 subscribed to my blog. I think I'm sinking into a depression! (j/k Christine!)

To Kit- the Mega socks were done on 2.5mm needles, with the basic toe-up pattern from Simple Socks Plain & Fancy by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts, or somebody. You do a short-row toe, then work straight for the foot, then repeat the short-row toe (but now it becomes a heel), then work straight for the sock, then do a cuff of your choice, then bind off. Easy to do, supposedly fits great. (Yannick says so, he says they fit better than the top-down socks I made him last year). The only thing I can't figure out is how to incorporate the heel stitch (k1, sl1, p back) into the heel. I guess I can do it, I need to try it sometime.

I finished the left jacket front last night but was too tired to take a pic and upload it. I'll post pics tonight. I had started the right front, but somehow managed to do the 8 ribbed rows without scrunching the Homespun down...I held it looser than normal so I wouldn't have to scrunch but that left me with a ribbed border that was much looser than the left side. I don't like it, so I'm going to rip it tonight and redo.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 1:28 pm   3 comments
Friday, February 24, 2006
Kinda Sad
Hmmm...the more I post, the fewer readers I have. That's disappointing!

Oh well. "Thank you" to those who do read (see the sidebar over there -->). If anyone else does, let me know your email addy or blog address and I'll add a link for you over there. I'd like to support your blog if you support mine.

Come on...anyone else out there? I'll post more pics....
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 9:54 am   2 comments

Today (Thursday)'s knitting tally. From the green marker upwards. Rows 57 through 130 of the left jacket front. Up there near the TV remote you can see that I've started the v-neck shaping. The rest is a loooong stockinette rectangle. I'm making this thing oversize, and the back took just about 2 balls. I'm sure I'll finish the front pieces at 1 ball each, and then there's the sleeves. Once the main body is complete there is a ribbed band in a contrasting color (no buttonholes though), and then a matching hat. Is it me, or am I more productive when I'm posting my tally each day?
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 12:59 am   0 comments
Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Today's Knitting Tally- starting at the green marker, I did row 13 through 56 of the first of the 2 fronts of the Lion Brand Homespun jacket. If you want to figure out scale, the remote is about 5 or 6 inches I think. This jacket is an awful lot of stockinette stitch!
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 11:06 pm   0 comments
To Mary J...
...I think the technical term is "voyeur". ;]
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 10:52 am   0 comments
Today's Knitting Tally (Tuesday)

This is what miles and miles of stockinette stitch look like. Thankfully I finished the back of the jacket tonight. Instead of binding off for the shoulders on both sides I did short rows and will do the same on the front pieces so I can do a 3ndl BO to make a nicer look on the shoulders. That tiny green fleck on the top right is where I started tonight at, so I've done everything up from that point (48 rows) and then the 13 rows of the 1st front piece, seen at the right. Total for today: 5124 sts.

Hmm. That's funny. It felt more like 5125.

posted by Jennifer Lori @ 1:17 am   0 comments
Monday, February 20, 2006
Today's Knitting Tally

Everything from the blue line up was done today (the little turquoise words say "TODAY'S WORK"). 9 whole rows. Woo hoo. Why is it that when I'm dying to knit I keep finding other stuff to do? I haven't spent as much time putzing around on the internet as I did today since high school. RRRRRrrr

I need to do 33.5" of stockinette with the Homespun. I'm at around 24". Tonight I did 9 rows at 85 sts/row for a total of 765 stitches.

I'm estimating that 33.5" will take me to row 167. I'm on row 127.

*sigh*

Oh, by the way, I did cast on 84 sts as the pattern calls for. I just counted on the last row and have 85 sts. I know it's easy-peasy to just decrease a stitch somewhere, no one will ever see it in all this slubby goodness. But if anyone can take a look at that photo above and let me know where and how I managed to add a stitch... I'm seriously mystified. It's miles and miles of boring stockinette. Not even a single shaping to make me wake up. How on earth did I manage to add a stitch??

posted by Jennifer Lori @ 11:13 pm   0 comments
Really Cool LEGO Church
http://www.amyhughes.org/lego/church/index.html
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 10:52 pm   0 comments
Open Letter To Anyone Who Reads My Blog
Instead of filling in my sidebar with links to blogs that I like to read, I'd like to throw some hits your way by posting links to blogs of people who read my site. I only keep up this blog because I like hearing from you guys, and maybe this will get some traffic over to your sites. Also, I'll be able to visit you guys more often and get to know you.

If you read my site and have a blog please leave a comment with your first name and blog address. If you don't have a blog then please leave your email address (if you wish) or just your name. If you have a blog but don't want it public (like you Robyn) then I can link to your email address, or just put your name. I'd like to put up a list over the next few days.

On a purely selfish note, I have a hard time believing anyone actually comes to my site besides family, so this is a cool way for me to get to know you too! :)

I'm going to repost this message every once in a while.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 2:59 pm   2 comments
More Blog Quizzes...
You are


Your Stripper Song Is

I'm a Slave 4 U by Britney Spears

"I'm a slave for you. I cannot hold it; I cannot control it.
I'm a slave for you. I won't deny it; I'm not trying to hide it."

You may seem shy, but you can let your wild side out when you want to!


You Are Likely a First Born

At your darkest moments, you feel guilty.
At work and school, you do best when you're researching.
When you love someone, you tend to agree with them often.

In friendship, you are considerate and compromising.
Your ideal careers are: business, research, counseling, promotion, and speaking.
You will leave your mark on the world with discoveries, new information, and teaching people to dream.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 1:33 pm   0 comments
Movies I've Seen
I stole this from my cousin Robyn who stole it from another blog, so if anyone wants to play along, feel free to steal from me!

[ ] Citizen Kane
[X] Casablanca
[ ] The Godfather
[ ] The Godfather Part 2
[X] Gone with the Wind
[ ] Lawrence of Arabia
[X] The Wizard of Oz
[X] The Graduate
[ ] On the Waterfront
[ ] Schindler's List
[ ] Singing in the Rain
[X] Ben-Hur
Total: 5

[ ] Seven Samurai
[ ] Magnificent Seven
[ ] Three Amigos
[ ] Yojimbo
[ ] Fist Full of Dollars
[ ] Last Man Standing
[ ] Hidden Fortress
[X] Star Wars
[X] Empire Strikes Back
[X] Return of the Jedi
[ ] Ran
[ ] Dreams
[ ] Rashomon
Total: 3

[ ] Psycho
[ ] Vertigo
[ ] North by Northwest
[ ] The Birds
[ ] Rear Window
[ ] Dial M for Murder
Total: 0

[ ] Blood Simple
[ ] Raising Arizona
[ ] Millers Crossing
[ ] Barton Fink
[ ] Hudsucker Proxy
[X] Fargo
[X] Big Lebowski
[X] O Brother Where Art Thou?
Total: 3

[ ] Alien
[X] Blade Runner
[X] Legend
[ ] Black Rain
[X] Thelma & Louise
[ ] Black Hawk Down
[ ] Gladiator
Total: 3

[ ] Time Bandits
[ ] Brazil
[ ] The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
[ ] The Fisher King
[X] Twelve Monkeys
[X] Seven
[X] Fight Club
[ ] Primal Fear
[X] American History X
Total: 4

[ ] Spartacus
[ ] Lolita
[X] Dr. Strangelove
[X] Point for knowing the full title of Dr. Strangelove(I know it. I can't tell YOU, though. That would be cheating.)
[X] 2001: A Space Odyssey
[X] Clockwork Orange
[X] The Shining
[ ] Full Metal Jacket
Total: 4+1=5

[ ] The Pianist
[ ] Rosemary's Baby
[ ] China Town
[ ] Easy Rider
[ ] One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Total:4

[ ] Unforgiven
[ ] The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
[ ] The Searchers
[ ] Rio Bravo
[ ] Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
[ ] Assault on Precinct 13 (2005)
Total: 0

[ ] Halloween
[ ] Nightmare on Elm Street
[ ] Friday the 13th
[ ] Chainsaw Massacre
[ ] The Exorcist
[X] Silence of the Lambs
Total: 1

[X] Pee-wee's Big Adventure
[X] Beetle Juice
[X] Batman
[X] Edward Scissor Hands
[ ] Ed Wood
[X] Mars Attacks!
Total: 5

[X] Reservoir Dogs
[X] Pulp Fiction
[X] Kill Bill: Vol 1
[X] Kill Bill: Vol 2
[ ] Sin City
[ ] Four Rooms
[X] From Dusk Till Dawn
[X] Desperado
[ ] El Mariachi
Total: 6

[ ] Gates of Heaven
[ ] Vernon, Florida
[ ] The Thin Blue Line
[ ] Fast, Cheap & Out of Control
[ ] Mr. Death
[ ] The Fog of War
Total: 0

[X] LOTR: The Fellowship of the Rings
[X] LOTR: The Two Towers
[X] LOTR: Return of the King
[ ] Forgotten Silver
[ ] Heavenly Creatures
[ ] Braindead aka Dead Alive
[ ] Meet the Feebles
[ ] Bad Taste
Total: 3

[ ] King Kong (1933)
[ ] King Kong (1976)
[X] King Kong (2005)
Total: 1

[X] The Sixth Sense
[X] Unbreakable
[X] Signs
[X] The Village
Total: 4

[ ] Pi
[ ] Requiem for a Dream
[X] Memento
[ ] Insomnia
[X] Batman Begins
[ ] Following
[ ] The Virgin Suicides
[X] Lost in Translation
[X] Being John Malkovich
[ ] Adaptation
[X] Eternal Sunshine or the Spotless Mind
Total:5

[ ] Better Off Dead
[X] Sixteen Candles
[X] The Breakfast Club
[X] Weird Science
[X] Ferris Beuller's Day Off
[ ] Planes, Trains & Automobiles
[X] The Goonies
[X] Stand by Me
Total:6


[X] The Shawshank Redemption
[X] The Green Mile
Total:2

[X] Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
[X] Princess Bride
[ ] This is Spinal Tap
[ ] The Jerk
[X] Ghost Busters
[ ] Animal House
[ ] Blues Brothers
[X] Little Shop of Horrors
Total: 4

[X] Princess Mononoke
[ ] My Neighbor Totoro
[X] Spirited Away
[ ] Howl's Moving Castle
[ ] Akira
[ ] Steamboy
[ ] Ghost in the Shell
Total: 2

[ ] Waiting for Guffman
[X] Best in Show
[ ] A Mighty Wind
Total:1

[ ] Night of the Living Dead
[ ] Dawn of the Dead (1978)
[ ] Day of the Dead
[ ] Land of the Dead
[ ] Shawn of the Dead
[ ] 28 days later
Total: 0

[X] Bottle Rocket
[ ] Rushmore
[ ] Royal Tenenbaums
[ ] The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
[X] Snatch
[ ] Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
[X] Trainspotting
[ ] Shallow Grave
Total: 3

[ ] Delicatessen
[ ] Amilie
[ ] City of Lost Children
[ ] Run Lola Run
[ ] La Femme Nikita
[ ] The Professional
[X] The Fifth Element
Total: 1

[ ] Mean Streets
[ ] Taxi Driver
[ ] Raging Bull
[ ] Last Temptation of Christ
[ ] Goodfellas
[ ] Casino
Total: 0

[ ] M
[ ] Metropolis
[ ] Nosferatu
[ ] Diabolique
[X] Usual Suspects
[ ] Double Indemnity
[ ] The Third Man
[ ] Manchurian Candidate (1962)
[ ] Cool Hand Luke
Total: 1

[X] Raiders of the Lost Ark
[X] Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
[X] Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
[X] Jurassic Park
[X] Color Purple
[ ] Saving Private Ryan
[X] E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
[X] Jaws
Total: 7

[X] Die Hard
[X] Lethal Weapon
[ ] Mad Max
[ ] The Road Warrior
[X] Braveheart
[X] Man Without a Face
[X] Passion of the Christ
Total:5

GRAND TOTAL: 84/205

Geez I suck!
What's your total?
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 1:05 pm   0 comments

WTF?????!!?? Yes, you read that right. This is a package of incense sticks that are "pussy" scented. I did not play with the type on the label in any way, that is the exact packaging. WTF??? Ok, there is a cat on the label, but....????
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 1:02 pm   0 comments

This just shows the thinness of the yarn, and the little halo of the mohair-y-ness. ;)
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 12:58 pm   0 comments

This is a bunch of incense I bought as a gift for Yannick. He loves lighting it around the house and the one he uses right now gives me a headache. I figured that if he would at least light scents I LIKE then it wouldn't be so bad. The top cans are "mint", "vanilla", "lavendar", and "grape". The bottom packs are "blueberry", "green apple", "orange", "peach", "cherry", "coconut", "strawberry", and "pussy".
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 12:58 pm   0 comments

This is some yarn I bought there. They had other acrylic stuff but it really felt like plastic, and some fun fur that looked like a plastic muppet had been slaughtered. This stuff I liked, however. It's 100% acrylic too, but really fine and fluffy like a mohair. I really want to do some kind of color work with it, something Fair Isle-y, I have no idea what though. I have 35g of each of these 5 colors, no idea what the yardage is.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 12:58 pm   0 comments
Proud of Myself
Today was the first time I've driven since the car accident on Jan 31st. I drove home that night, but I haven't driven since. This morning I brushed myself off and drove to Curves. I did my first weigh-in since November (I've gone since, just not bothered with the weigh-in). I've lost 0.5" in my waist, 1% body fat and 8 pounds. Stress will do it, I guess. :)

The drive was hard but I don't really want to get into it. Mostly mental stuff, plus my leg started hurting almost from the moment I turned the key in the ignition, but I think it's mostly mental.

On my way home I stopped off to pay my registration fees at a Caisee Populaire near Curves. Guess who was in line behind me? Bernard Patry, the Liberal representative. Cool I guess. Then I went to the dollar store near my house. It sucks 'cus not everything is a dollar. There was even a painting there once for $70! I find that really misleading, but maybe that's just me.

I bought a few things there, a surprise for Yannick and something for me. I couldn't believe one of the items, I bought it just because of the name, how odd it is. You can see for yourself...

At the end of the month my phone service that lets me email photos for free expires. To save myself the $15/month I decided to teach myself how to use our new digital camera. I played around with it a few minutes ago and will post the pics in just a sec.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 12:53 pm   0 comments
Knitting Tally for Sunday, February 19 2006
0 freaking stitches. I'm going to bed. No knitting accomplishments today. I suck.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 1:01 am   0 comments
Sunday, February 19, 2006

...and this is the bottom of the same section, with tons of little punches and stickers and themed accessories in 3D and fabrics and stuff, you know, the little scrapbooking add-ons. The little yellow square in the lower right is a really cute tiny (3" x 1.5" roughly) mini spiral-bound journal. They had a bunch but I don't know what I'd use it for. It was really cute though, like a mini sketch pad. So if you're a scrapbooker and you're in the West Island and you happen to go to Fairview, take a look in the dollar store. (Be warned though, it's not a Dollarama, so not everything is $1.)
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 10:49 pm   0 comments

For anyone interested in scrapbooking, I found a nice-sized selection of scrapbooking supplies in the dollar store at Fairview shopping center today. I don't do much of it (spend enough on knitting!) but I took pics so you could see what there was. This pic is just to show the turn-stand thingie in the middle of the pic. It has paper packs and accessories.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 10:47 pm   0 comments

One of the aisles has a section too, this is the upper half of the section with all kinds of hand-sewn papers and corrugated papers and kits and stuff...
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 10:46 pm   0 comments
Still Haven't Knit Yet
I'm going a little buggy 'cus it's almost 11pm on Sunday night and I haven't knit a stitch yet. I find I'm going through withdrawl really fast. It's been fun getting driven to work every morning 'cus I've been guaranteed a chance to do a few rows on my way in, but now that I'm going to start driving again this week I'll only get my knitting in at night. Maybe I'll try to see how many stitches I can knit each day...

No knitting pics, but I do have a few to post so I'll put them up now.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 10:41 pm   0 comments

I thought I'd posted this pic previously. Hmm. Anyways, this is the Klaralund sweater that I'll probably make with my silk garden from my stash.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 11:57 am   0 comments
Friday, February 17, 2006

FO to report. I left work early yesterday since the meds have me feeling woozy and nauseous every time they start to wear off, and managed to finish the last 15 rows of Yannick's socks. So I will be able to give them to him Saturday night when we celebrate Valentine's Day. The socks didn't stripe the same way because it was one 100g ball that I wound into 2 smaller ones, so the second ball started at the point the first one finished, but it didn't take me the whole 50g. I don't care, I like the way they came out. The yarn is Mega Boots Stretch and I posted a link in a previous post. I have at least 30g left over, I think I'll put aside all my leftover sock yarn and make a pair of funky "leftover" socks or gloves with them.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 7:27 pm   2 comments
Wednesday, February 15, 2006

I totally stole this from my cousin's blog. How come it never occured to me to post a pic of my own wedding announcement? Maybe all the drama of the car accident and then my grandmother's passing...but it still should have occurred to me. Thank you Robyn for blocking out our family names. I cropped it for here 'cus really, who needs our siblings' and grandparents' names? So Voila- our wedding announcement. EEEee.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 10:48 pm   0 comments
This is Way Too Much Fun

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Yannick!

  1. Yannick is the only one of the original Seven Wonders of the World that still survives.
  2. The pupil of an octopus's eye is shaped like Yannick.
  3. Olive oil was used for washing Yannick in the ancient Mediterranean world!
  4. You would have to dig through four thousand kilometres of Yannick to reach the earth's core.
  5. Neil Armstrong first stepped on Yannick with his left foot.
  6. About one tenth of Yannick is permanently covered in ice!
  7. The water in oceans is four times less salty than the water in Yannick!
  8. American Airlines saved forty thousand dollars a year by eliminating Yannick from each salad served in first class.
  9. People used to believe that dressing their male children as Yannick would protect them from evil spirits.
  10. Reindeer like to eat Yannick!
I am interested in - do tell me about
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 10:34 pm   0 comments
I Couldn't Resist!

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Jennifer!

  1. Jennifer can be very poisonous if injected intravenously.
  2. According to the story, Pinocchio was made of Jennifer.
  3. South Australia was the first place to allow Jennifer to stand for parliament.
  4. Only 55 percent of Americans know that the sun is made of Jennifer.
  5. Jenniferocracy is government by Jennifer.
  6. In Vermont, the ratio of cows to Jennifer is 10:1!
  7. If a snake is born with two heads, the heads will fight over who gets Jennifer.
  8. All gondolas in Venice must be painted black unless they belong to Jennifer!
  9. If you lie on your back with your legs stretched it is impossible to sink in Jennifer.
  10. Olive oil was used for washing Jennifer in the ancient Mediterranean world.
I am interested in - do tell me about
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 10:31 pm   0 comments
Monday, February 13, 2006
Attention Stormshade
To the reader who emailed me today with the username Stormshade... please reply with your email address! Or you can send me an email directly from your email, Blogger comments only give me the anonymous Blogger no-reply email and I wanted to reply to your email! You can click the link in the sidebar over there --> to email me. Thanks!
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 7:26 pm   0 comments
More + Hospital does not = Fun
Saturday after work I went back to the hospital. I went to bed the night before at 1 am and woke up at 2 with shooting stomach pains, high up near my diaphragm and another kind lower in my belly. They were afraid that there might be internal bleeding that started really slowly, so they admitted me at like 8:45pm. Right into the hospital gown and onto a bed in another corner somewhere. Loopy on hydromorphone. Started itching within 5 minutes. Got switched to demerol in case I was having an allergic reaction. Kept itching. Switched me to morphine. By 7am I was begging them to take me off morphene. It was like water. Useless. They'd give it to me and I'd doze off and I'd wake up in under an hour with the stomach pains again, begging for a pain killer and they'd say "we can't give you anything, we just gave you morphene." This happened I don't know how many times, at least 5 different IV bags of morphene. All useless. In the middle of the night I noticed my IV hand was swollen. I mean huge. All my fingers, my hand, my wrist and the forearm. Told the night nurse. "It's normal, it's from the IV." Told each subsequent nurse. Finally around 10:30am the 6th nurse I showed it to (I couldn't bend my fingers more than an inch down at this point, and there was nowhere I could move my thumb to) showed some kind of interest and said she'd mention it to the doctor. Finally in the early afternoon they took out the IV alltogether, gave me meds as pills and told me to keep my arm up in the air. The swelling went down within minutes. 6 hours after they did the CT scan they came back to tell me it was normal. 1 rx for pain, 1 for stomach and a referral to a specialist to see if I have an ulcer from all this stress.

Today I went to my family doc to tell him the whole story and ask his opinion on the meds. We agreed not to take the 3rd pill the hospital doc had prescribed. It's a tranquelizer for bedtime. Ok. A) I have no problem falling asleep, in fact I'm tired earlier than normal. B) It's not bedtime when I'm nervous, anxious or having flashbacks. It's during the day. C) You can't take the tranq with pain meds, which means I wouldn't be able to take a pain killer before bed. WTF? Why would I want to wake up in the middle of the night in pain? Stupid. I'll try something else, something actually meant for post-traumatic-stress. I hope the pain goes away soon, or at least manageable. I've been pill-free with my fibro for about 3 years now and like not having to rely on pharmaceuticals or non-drug pills. Sucks though, I was so "used" to having pain that now that I'm getting it for other reasons and for the first time in so long everything feels heightened.

Off to go knit now. Have to finish a 225 row sock for Yannick for Vday tomorrow. Have 92 rows completed. I think I'll be up late tonight. Pics after progress is made.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 4:03 pm   1 comments
Saturday, February 11, 2006

Even more fun are these romantic-themed magnets included in the package. I've wanted these for a really long time, and I've been in a lot of pain lately, so getting home tonight and finding a package in the mail was a real treat. Thank you!!! Yes, the anality (?) in both Yannick and I led to us arranging them by category (adjectives, nouns, connecting words, phrases, etc...) Don't laugh.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 12:02 am   1 comments
Friday, February 10, 2006

Thanks to my really sweet cousin Robyn, these cute little gel stickers are adorning my kitchen just in time for the upcoming holiday.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 11:48 pm   1 comments
Thursday, February 09, 2006

After reading all the buzz about the Knitting Olympics started by the Yarn Harlot and then spreading to Team Canada, I was debating joining. I figured it would be a good way to take my mind off things. I figured I'd do Tempting II from www.knitty.com using some Noro Silk Garden from my stash. I made up a swatch but after seeing how the yarn comes out I think I'd much rather make a sweater with it than a sexy little top. It's more of a "comfy" type feeling and color. You can't tell by the pic, but the yarn swirls from purples to grays and has a beautiful silk sheen to it. I'm amazed at how soft it is, since my only other Noro experience is Kureyon, which I love, but isn't as soft. I'm not going to do the Olympics though. It's too hard to start something this afternoon and race through it in 2 weeks, especially since I'm still sitting shiva and will be there every night through to Monday, and I don't knit while I'm with everyone, so if I want to knit I need to be anti-social and go downstairs. Also, if I was to do that, I have Yannick's Valentine's Day gift of the Mega Socks that I don't feel right putting off, especially since there might be time to finish them before the holiday. So I didn't sign up. But I'll be knitting in spirit. There's always next year. I'll just consider myself in training.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 7:38 am   1 comments
Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Note: Morbidity Ahead. On Monday my mom asked me if I was going to put anything into the coffin with my grandmother, as my siblings and cousins and so on were writing letters and stuff as a way to let out a bit of how they were feeling. I went into a panic because I didn't feel "right" about writing a letter. I am so thankful I found a pattern for a knit elephant in one of my knitting books, I think it's called "Last Minute Knitted Gifts" by the woman who owns Purl Soho in New York. Anyways, it took me 2 hours in the afternoon, and another 4 hours that evening, but I managed to finish this elephant in time. My grandmother collected elephants. She had, seriously, thousands of elephants. Statues, tshirts, anything with an elephant on it. This toy was supposed to be 10" tall but I used much smaller needles and a smaller gauge yarn and was able to end up with a little 5" or so elephant. I under-stuffed it so it's cuddly and squishy and was just really thankful I had something to give to my grandmother on Tuesday. I didn't go see her as often as I should have once she was in her foster home, mainly because it was so hard to communicate but that wasn't her fault. So I am really happy that I was able to make something just for her, with only her in mind and thinking of her with every stitch.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 11:14 pm   1 comments
Monday, February 06, 2006

This lousy pic tries to show off the cuff I made up. It's just 2x2 rib (k2, p2) but I made up a 25 row chart where I do a 2st cable every 5 rows in the knit rows, but every next set of k stitches is offset. So the first row would be (for example kk pp \\ pp, repeat. Next 2 rows would be just kk pp kk pp around, then the next row would be \\ pp kk pp so there end up being 5 rows between each cable, but the cables themselves are staggered.) I shouldn't have bothered, anyways, because you can't see the cables on this mottled yarn. I'll try this cuff again when I make a solid brown pair of socks.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 2:14 pm   0 comments

This tries to show the colors of the yarn. It's hard to see, even in real life, 'cus it's really subtle. There is a slight repeat, but it's broad. The toe started with gray that is mixed with dark gray, then goes into gray with blue, then gray with pale gray, then repeats. You can really see the gray with pale gray part 'cus it looks lightest, and the gray with dark part looks almost denim. The blue section is really subtle, but it's there.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 2:13 pm   1 comments

This is the completed first sock. I started at the toe and ended at the cuff. It's done on 68 sts with Mega Boots Stretch sock yarn.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 2:09 pm   0 comments
Small Things
Thank God I knit. I'm having a really hard time going through the last few days and even while watching TV my mind gets distracted. I find the only time I'm not thinking about anything is when I'm knitting. I'm trying really hard not to complain because I don't want to be selfish especially now when my mom and my aunts are going through something so terrible. I just feel like I'm lost. I'm trying to take it one day at a time but it's so hard because everyone else is going through one thing, but I'm going through two things and it's really, really difficult. I find I'm more sore and stiff now that I've been going out like to work and to my mom's house, and every time I go in a car I get the flashbacks and fear that we're going to get into an accident, and on top of that I miss my grandmother so much and have to prepare for the funeral on Tuesday. This is so hard.

Thank God for Yannick. He's been so supportive through this, even calling my mom through the day to see how she's doing, and spending most of each day there with her helping her set up for the shiva this week. [Note: shiva is when the friends and family come to the house to pay their repects. I found a really good article online that explains it, so if you're interested, click here: http://www.aish.com/literacy/lifecycle/The_Stages_of_Jewish_Mourning.asp

Since Yannick has been out of the house the last few days I was able to work on his Mega Socks. Obviously some stuff has come up, but I'm still trying to get them finished for Valentine's Day as his gift. Last night I finished the first sock. Blogger is being funny and not letting me upload pics using their software (what else is new?) so I'm going to post them in a second with hello.

I won't be around this week 'cus I'll be at my mom's every night for the shiva, but I'll be knitting, so that's something.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 1:43 pm   0 comments
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Jamais Deux Sans Trois
Bad luck happens in threes they say. My mom was so worried about that. A few weeks ago my sister smashed their car (she's fine, car's a total wreck). Tuesday I had my car accident. And well today my maternal grandmother passed away. I know she's been unwell for a while, not sick exactly but unable to communicate and needing full assistance, and it's been a few years since she's been able to live on her own and talk and stuff, but it's still a big shock, especially since she wasn't ill or anything recently. Just peacefully (I hope), sitting up in her chair. So I might be awol for a bit, nothing new with me, but just letting you know.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 7:07 pm   1 comments
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Come take a NAP!
I've done it, created a group for Needle Arts PenPals. Voila:


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/needleartspenpals/

Please come and sign up if you're interested, and feel free to pass on the invite to absolutely anyone you know who would like to be a pen pal. There are no requirements other than the time to write a letter, pop on a stamp and put it in the mail.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 9:53 pm   1 comments
This Time I Have an Excuse...
...for not writing. Tuesday night I was in a car accident. I'm ok, but it was really scary.

I was coming home from work on the 20 and an 18 wheeler who was in the middle lane decided he wanted to get into the right lane behind me...only he didn't feel like waiting until he had clearance. So he hit me right on the gas tank of my car, which, thanks to all the snow on the ground, slid my car diagonally right into the middle and left lanes. Someone hit me in the driver's front light and smashed it, then another car slammed into my driver's door. Truth be told, I thought I was going to die. I kept saying "no no no no no" and thinking "I can't believe this is how I'm going to die" and I honestly don't know if I meant "in a car accident" or "now that I'm engaged and things are going well and we're talking kids...and now I'm going to die before I get to do any of it." Probably the latter, knowing me.

My car came to a stop diagonally across the middle and left lanes, as if I was going the wrong way on the highway with the nose of the car more in the left lane. I turned off the engine, and once I was sure I was ok (other than a banged knee) I turned my car back on and reversed to go pull over on the right hand shoulder. I can't believe that after witnessing a 4 car + accident (I think another car might have hit me, but I'm not sure) most people in the right lane kept going. I actually had to wait for traffic to slow before I could actually back up and have room to get over to the right shoulder.

The truck had pulled over and so did another car who had to be towed. After sitting there for about 2 hours and dealing with the police and an ambulence (I refused to go) I was allowed to leave. The truck driver took full responsibility, thank God 'cus there's no way anyone else was to blame. He even told me over and over that he was sorry and just didn't see me and hoped I was ok. (I'm saying "he" but I honestly think it might have been a woman...not too sure though). I was able to drive my car home at about 8pm, but I kept my flashers on and didn't go over 60 on the highway and 40 on the main roads, 'cus I wasn't sure how it would drive. My hood kept bobbing up, and I didn't know what other damage there was.

I came home and took a bath, and it was only once I got home that my side and stomach started to hurt. When my dad found out he wanted to make sure there was no internal damage so Yannick took me to the emergency room. We got there around 11pm, and they finally took me to see the doctor at 2am, and he finally came into the room around 3:30. He said I had to stay there so they could do an ultrasound which didn't open until the morning. So they put me onto a stretcher and stuck an IV "door" into my hand, then took blood and wheeled me for chest xrays. Then it was about 5am and they brought me to a random hallway in the emergency observation area. I know it could have been worse, but considering they parked me under a bright light next to the very busy drug storage section, it could have been better too.

I didn't sleep much, and at 7am they took another blood test. Around 9am they brought me for the ultrasound, and it wasn't until 12 that they said it was all clear and I could go home.

So now I'm home. Banged and sore, but ok. The worst part is the flashbacks. I've never been through a trauma like this before, and I find that it keeps popping into my head at random times. Like last night I watched that TV commercial where the harried mom runs out and hugs the pizza delivery guy, and when they collided on screen, in my head I saw the car turning and the other cars smashing into it, and started crying again. But I guess that will go away soon. I'm off work for a couple of days, so I'm taking it easy.

I had an idea for a knitting and crochet penpal exchange, kinda like the secret pal stuff but with no gifts required, only a pen and paper. I'm going to put the word out in knitting groups and see if people are receptive to it, if they are then maybe I'll try to set something up.
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 9:37 pm   3 comments
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