Monday 30 May 2011

Galloping Grasshoppers

My A-Z KAL knitting has been slightly stalled for a while. I was good at casting on but actual knitting on and finishing was a bit stalled. Life and all that jazz got in the way. I had managed to finish of the D socks - Dublin bay a couple of weeks ago. These socks were supposed to be finished in February that is only two months late. I had cast on E a little late so according to the official list these were taking a bye but I had cast them on. I just did not do the official KAL group thread post in time.  The E socks are one sock done.  
The colour work pair Fishy Fishy aka F pair are stalled in the first sock I have not even made it to the first heel of the sock.  The H and I socks have been cast on but there has not been much progress. But But But my G socks are done. These were a pair of galloping grasshoppers. I had cast them on and only just got to the pattern section of the gusset. After being in hiatus land for quiet a while, a couple of weeks is a while for me, I sat down on the Friday afternoon of the Royal Wedding (after sleeping in) to look at where I was at knitting wise on these socks and went foo bar as I dropped a needle out and managed to pull the work at the same time. So it was a quick rip back a couple of rows to about the second row of the toe.  Yes these were toe up socks.  Managed to get Sock 1 redone on Friday evening and then got Sock 2 done on Saturday evening.  That was not bad for me.  Photo on Sunday 1st May. It has just taken me almost a month to finish this blog post and actually up load the photos to the blog and Ravelry.

So the Galloping Spring Hoppers were made out of Regina which I seem to have a lot of in my stash.  Stash down 2011 is still in progress.  The pattern is called Grasshopper Twists and the cuff length is 4" for this boof foot at 8.5 UK Ladies.



Tuesday 17 May 2011

Three days to go



I have three days to go to the weekend and I am already getting silly like the muppets cause I have so many things on.  Three days to being able to knit for more than two minutes. Three days and counting.

Sunday 15 May 2011

A good form of insomnia

Life has been insanely busy the last couple of weeks but I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. In my case I still have a couple of weeks looking down the tunnel but I am getting nearer and the light is getting brighter.

The last 6 months were just the cherry on top of a couple tough years health wise. I had the shock of being told you have Cancer and additional new auto-immune issues during the Xmas break, real nice pressies. This body is a bit of a lemon but I don't think I would have it any other way. I have survived the skin cancer treatment so far and it seems to be going well. I am scheduled for more testing but we will take each day as it comes. The lessons of the last 6 months have just reinforced the other lessons that others have taught me through out my life, mainly that you should live each day to the fullest and never live in limbo by waiting for a "someday" or a "one day".

Initially I was not that open about what was going on with the cancer diagnosis at work. I had to sort out my head a bit and I really could not contemplate the parsimonious pity or fake sympathy of certain colleagues who I really can not stand. Some of my colleagues are hypocritical idjiots and that is me being nice about them. I am known for being blunt unit with my habit of calling a spade a spade. My option about keeping the skin issues to myself (and line manager) at work lasted a while but then I started to have rather large lesions on the face. Those who had to guts to ask what was going on got told the truth. Those who did not ask, continued to gossip behind hands which made it pretty damn obvious. You can not hide that something is up when the face looks like full zombie horror movie make up on Halloween.


As part of the treatment kicked my butt I moved to part time roster at work. During that time, between the granny naps, I reviewed the state of play of my industry sector and the long term implications of further degeneration from auto immunity issues. I tend to have lots of plans I normally have a plan A, B, C & D for most days so I developed an action plan for the future for me that had the flexibility to my health needs and issues, desires and family commitments. I did some research, some thinking and some serious discussion with the dearly beloved. So by the 25th of March I had a action plan in motion so I can be "the master of my fate, the captain of my soul".

With the new grand master plan, I ran into some extended family disapproval.  "My head is bloody, but unbowed." For a little while I was upset but not for long as I have always had a stubbornness where I walk in my own direction. In the mist of the chaos of the annual end of semester and academic year this week I got my letter confirming my admission, my student support application and an appointment notice of my disability occupational health needs assessment. Like all changes it is a little scary but I can see some calm after the storm and I am excited about what the future may bring. That is why I am not sleeping so well and doing blog posts at 4am in the morning.


Wednesday 4 May 2011