FO: Mulled Wine Socks

My oldest UFO is complete at last! I began the Mulled Wine Socks back in December 2008 and finished the first one on holiday at New Year 2009.

I only got round to casting on for sock 2 in the past week. So they could have been finished long ago - tsk!

Stats:

Mulled Wine Socks from the Loumms Year of Socks.

Nature's Pallette fingering by Hand Jive Knits, which came from RooKnits - thanks Roo!

2.75mm dpns.

I love this yarn! Two skeins have made me a pair of socks and a pair of mittens for my daughter and the colour glows in both projects. It is more red than pink in real life. It is one of those two-strand-twist merinos, but "fatter" than Cherry Tree Hill. It really made those cables pop!

The pattern is very complex. These little socks have had everything thrown at them: bobbles, twists, cables, lace. The short-row heel was very well-written to avoid holes. It might be a bit shallow for my instep though.

If I was to knit them again I probably wouldn't use the roll-over cuff with all those bobbles. I can't get it to lie properly and it's just a bit too fussy for my taste.

Loads of fun though!

It makes for a great holiday knitting project - even in February it made me think about Christmas. Or maybe that was the snow! I would recommend it to someone who wants to test themselves and try out different techniques.

What next?

Probably some simple vanilla socks in self-striping yarn while I gather my strength to tackle the other UFO - my Zur Lederhos'n socks for FL. Because while knitting the Mulled Wine socks I realised where I had gone wrong with the Lederhos'n's - and it involves ripping - gulp!

What I Loved by Siri Hustvedt

I mentioned that I was reading "What I Loved" by Siri Hustvedt. I finished it last night in a final sprint, after a week or two of picking it up in odd moments and not getting anywhere fast.

The novel is in three parts and each is very different. Part One immerses the reader in works of art and the intellectual processes behind them. It is very cerebral, if you like. Part Two exposes the reader to raw emotion, humanity, vulnerability, and introduces doubt. Who can be trusted? Can you even trust yourself? Is there any such thing as innocence? Truth?

Part Three... wow, Part Three grabs you by the collar and shakes you hard! It is plot-driven: fast, furious, full of fear and threat. Life and death and blood and guts and horror. The questions multiply and become overwhelming. You have no choice but to read this section quickly to find out what happened, with a growing sense of dread. And yet the final tying-off of ends seems almost superfluous. I was left with the feeling that the plot was not the point, even though it was what accelerated my pace of reading.

I won't spoil the book for you by revealing too many secrets, because I think you should read it yourself. But don't blame me if you are left feeling unsettled and anxious. There is a strong theme running through the book concerning extremes of human behaviour- personality disorders, hysteria, schizophrenia - all these and more! And while the extremes may inspire or provoke art, they are just part of a continuum running through every life, touching everyone to a greater or lesser extent.

Maybe it is a question of sensitivity. Don't forget the origin of the word: a "sensitive" person was originally someone with occult / supernatural powers! Are we desensitised by modern life / computer games / films? Do people lie more easily nowadays, acting out a role instead of being "themselves"?

There's a lot in here about parenting teenagers. That's probably what disturbed me most. At some point they stop being your children and become themselves - and what can you do if you don't like those people? Is it your fault? Can you tell when they are lying to you?

I'm off to Amazon to buy her other novels. I'm hooked now.

So what's new?

I would dearly love to regale you with tales of finished knits and successful sewing, but my craftiness has been very low-key over the last few days.

Knitting:

I am plugging away with the Mulled Wine sock. I finally "got" the holly sprig pattern last night, so hopefully it will be a quicker knit from here on in.

I have just started the back section of my Helleborus Yoke, having completed the right front and right sleeve. There is a mistake on the right front, about 2 inches in to the knitting. I am viewing it as a brooch-wearing opportunity. Shrug.

Sewing:

I haven't made any sewing progress, but I have ordered three lengths of fabric from Croft Mill to make wide-legged trousers. My tweedy skirt work "uniform" isn't doing it for me anymore. It doesn't fit with the new hair. I am thinking quirky tailored jackets with big trousers.

The quest for jackets left me speechless with shock at the price of ready-to-wear. I have tailored perhaps three jackets in my time and all were successful. But can I find a pattern I like? Nope. I think I will have to scour the vintage sewing aisles of Etsy and Ebay.

I did find some amazing non-jacket patterns at a French site Au Bonheur des Petites Mains. They do plus-sizes, which impressed me. I especially liked the Pantalon avec jupette a la taille until I remembered my infant daughter wearing this style over cloth nappies and looking frankly enormous! So maybe not for me. But I am seriously tempted by this big-pocketed coat: Manteau Poches Sac. Wow!

Health

FL is doing OK (cautious optimism rools, OK!), with happier bowels, an improved appetite, and regular naps. He is not at all impressed by the need to sleep during the day, but he has no choice. Paracetamol is definitely helping, but he needs something to counteract his "electric shocks" at night.

Reading

I am reading "What I Loved" by Siri Hustvedt. The Observer called it "an intellectual page-turner". I am struggling to visualise the artist's 3D box painting / sculptures and have started skipping over the descriptions... which is silly because I know they are important. But I am intrigued by the character of Violet, so was reading it over breakfast today, which is definitely a sign of something.

Knitting Off The Road

So, Andrea's Shawl is finished - what to knit next?

I wound a skein of Singing The Blues aran-weight PoshYarn to make a hat to fit my new hair... but couldn't decide which pattern to use. I might wait for Woolly Wormhead's new book "Twisted Woolly Toppers" before I decide.

And I wound my last skein of Yarn Yard Bonny in Trente-et-un (pink) for a smocky baby number. I will probably use the Busy Lizzy pattern from "Tadpoles and Tiddlers", which my daughter looked super-cute in as an infant - ah memories!

But I wasn't feeling the knitting love for either of these ideas. I picked up my oldest WIP, the Mulled Wine socks from December 2008 (tsk!) and cast on sock two. Oh my! I had forgotten how tricky this pattern is! I ripped it back three times before I got going with the cuff.

So I was delighted when my back-ordered copy of Knitscene Winter / Spring 2010 arrived. Instant distraction! I fell for the Helleborus Yoke cardigan straightaway. Never mind that it was meant to be knit in chunky wool and started at size 38 inches, I was determined to knit it, and knit it from stash.

I tried using the Rowan Wool Tweed my from Kemps windfall. What a strange yarn that is! It feels so unwoolly and the colour in sunlight is frankly disturbing. The phrase "ginger minger" comes to mind. Err... no. Ripped.

So I dived back into the stash and unearthed some Cascade 220 Heathers I bought from Sussex Yorkie's destash a while ago. I though I would make a Back-to-School Vest with this, but then went off the idea.

By bedtime I had knitted the right front. My gauge is coming up at 17 stitches by 23 rows for 4 inches over moss stitch on US size 9 needles. Not bad! The original pattern calls for 15 stitches by 23 rows on US 10.5 needles. If mine comes out a bit smaller, it's all good because I am a clear 4-5 inches less chesty than the smallest size.

This picture was the first attempt, when I messed up the O-O-O cable. Oh. Ripped.

But I have found my knitting mojo. Hallelujah! I love the colour (mmm blackcurrants!) and I love the texture and I am actually excited about the prospect of knitting on today.

Health:

Thank you so much to everyone who shared my outrage at the lack of sympathy FL has been receiving from his doctors. He was so disheartened by his GP's response (side-effects have to be tolerated) that he didn't want to talk to the Macmillan nurse or anyone else. Ever. So I am letting it lie for a few days to see how he gets on with paracetamol. Then at least we can report to the hospital that he has tried paracetamol... it helps... but maybe not enough... and maybe it is time for something else...? Oh - and you can keep your Velcade, thank you very much.

Off road:

Yesterday FL reversed his car into a ditch trying to get out of the way of a school bus in the snow. (Yes - more snow!) He couldn't turn round to look properly and slid off the edge of the tarmac into a burn (stream). The gamekeeper gave him a lift home, but he forgot the dog was in the boot, so I had to leave work early to rescue the confused mutt (Hero, not FL). The recovery vehicle was supposed to come at 7pm (the accident was at 2pm!) but when I drove my daughter home from her tap class at 9pm I could see the car was still on its side. FL was asleep when we got home, but my son said the recovery people hadn't rung. Strange. So we rang them, and it turned out that they hadn't registered his call because he hadn't known the registration number of his car. SIGH.

So the 2pm accident was dealt with at 11pm. Lucky he hadn't stayed in the car! Apparently the recovery truck almost went into the ditch trying to get the car out, as it couldn't get traction on the ice. I am so sick of this weather!

So a quiet weekend has to be hoped for...

Sewing Inspiration

Picture credit: Pomadour

See the picture on the right? I like this look!

That jacket says it all for me - neat little tiny collar, 3/4 length sleeves, asymmetric pocket flap feature - ooh and it looks as if it is made in a linen / cotton blend.

Then there's the swooshy cool chemisey-smock underneath, layered up over a camisole, and it curves at the front- it isn't just straight across. It might be a bit "maternity" but that model still manages to look slim in it.

And a pair of cullottes with massive hems... and boots! Love it!

There is always the fear that these are clothes designed for a bigger gal than me. How many times have I tried on billowing layers and ended up looking like I had raided the dressing-up box?

It's a Lagenlook look - dramatic layering, beloved by art teachers across the world.

The patterns are in a Japanese sewing book I spotted at Pomadour: Mrs Stylebook Spring 2010. So, in theory, I could make these clothes for myself. But I have a previous copy of Mrs Stylebook and haven't made anything from it, because it only shows drawings of the pattern pieces - you have to draft them yourself according to your own measurements. And there are virtually no instructions on how to sew them together - just a few terse comments in Japanese.

Tsk - I need to get my sewing confidence back before I dive in way beyond my experience! Inspiring though!

FO: Andrea's Shawl

This should have been a quick project, but I was struggling to concentrate and did a lot of ripping back - tsk!

Andrea's Shawl is designed by Kirsten Kapur (Through the Loops) for Knitpicks, and ought to be knitted in alpaca. I thought about buying an extra ball of Drops Alpaca to add to the two I already have, but decided to be "good" and used yarn exclusively from the stash.

I knitted the smallest size of shawl. Medium might have been more practical. The wingspan is a bit short when worn as a scarf.

But my brain was not in gear and I found the lace section a bit tricky, and the striped section took two attempts, for no good reason at all.

Even on the second try, I kept finding my stitch count was out on one side of the centre stitch. I think I was just tired.

Sorry about the blurry back view - my photographer was getting grumpy!

Stats:

Andrea's Shawl.

Yarn Yard Bonny in brown and Clan in "Probably Jane" - the green.

4mm Denise interchangeable circular needles.

Verdict?

The colours are perfect (all hail to Natalie, hand-dyer extraordinaire!), but I should have used a softer yarn base. Don't get me wrong - this is perfectly wearable as an everyday scarf, but all that effort deserved a bit of fluff and luxury.

I still want to knit the Drops Alpaca version - oh dear! Maybe my brain will function better on the next attempt!

Side Effects

If you want something done, you had better do it yourself, people!

FL's symptoms were bothering me. Dr T's attitude bothered me. I felt like we were missing something important. So yesterday I did some research on the web and found a very helpful Powerpoint presentation by Shirley D'Sa: "Peripheral Neuropathy and management of neurological side effects of myeloma treatment". Snappy title, huh?!

It isn't exactly a Ladybird Guide to Peripheral Neuropathy (PN), but I can read flowcharts. And guess what I found?

There are four key side effects to Velcade: PN, Autonomic Neuropathy, Gastro Intestinal toxicity and fatigue. How many of these does FL have? All four. How many have been acknowledged by the hospital doctor? One - the PN, which has been attributed to his previous Thalidomide regime.

Somebody (Dr T, I am looking at you) is either in denial about the side-effects of Velcade or just doesn't know. Either way, it isn't helping FL.

Lets go further into the presentation:

Sensory Symptoms
•A sensation of wearing an invisible "glove" or "sock"
•Wooden quality
•Numbness, pins & needles
•Feeling of walking on pebbles
•Feeling of tightness & swelling
•Burning sensation or freezing pain
•Sharp, jabbing or electric shock-like pain
•Extreme sensitivity to touch
•Usually worse at night
•Loss of balance and coordination
•Cramps in the feet and calves

Motor Symptoms
•Tripping on the toes
•Loss of grip strength

Autonomic Symptoms
•Dry eyes
•Dry mouth
•Orthostatic dizziness
•Constipation
•Diarrhoea
•Bladder incontinence
•Sexual dysfunction

I took FL through the list. It was immediately clear that he has text-book side-effects.

We looked at the Velcade Nursing Assessment (slides 17 and 18) and realised that his dizzy episode in the infusion room should have triggered a diagnosis of Autonomic Neuropathy at Grade 3: "Postural drop and regular dizziness" - because he is very honest about not being able to stand up without gripping a nearby table, and he immediately stoops to correct himself.

And this should have led to an immediate cessation of treatment. Not a Spanish Inquisition about why he wasn't eating properly!

I am grateful that his Velcade has been stopped, but I am not convinced that Dr T was aware of the reasons why it should have been stopped. She gave the impression that she had lost her temper with FL and given in to pressure from him to stop the drugs, which he had been reluctant to take in the first place. When, in fact, a logical clinical assessment should have led to the same conclusion, with the additional acknowledgement that he needed help to control the side effects.

So he is off to his GP today, clutching my notes, with a request for effective painkillers to allow him to sleep at night and to counteract the electric shocks. To allow his body some rest and recovery time. An anti-convulsant, possibly alongside a tricyclic antidepressant? But hey, I am not a doctor, and I know a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

But shouldn't the real doctors be doing this research, not me?

LATER:

FL's GP said "Side effects go with the treatment and have to be tolerated". He was sent home with NOTHING! Not even Paracetamol.

What a load of total bollocks! Ringing the Macmillan Nurse to get some sense out of the medical profession.

About pain

We had such hopes on Friday! FL was feeling more energetic and although he didn't eat much while we were out, we had a relaxed restaurant meal.

But the rest of the weekend was about pain. I haven't really thought before about how many different sorts of pain there are, even though I know it's the first question doctors ask: "What KIND of pain is it?".

Fl has been putting up with several sorts of pain. There is the regular sort - the gnawing, toothachey pain he gets in his lower back, which he mostly ignores. He stopped taking painkillers soon after he was released from hospital following his MM diagnosis back in 2007. He said he wanted to know what was going on.

Then there is the sudden stabbing pain which he used to feel very very occasionally - perhaps once a week. It came from nowhere, could strike anywhere, and was gone as soon as it arrived. Like a magic bullet passing through, but leaving no wound. That's what he thought of it as: "the magic bullet", and he liked to think it was the chemo zapping a myeloma site. This weekend, there have been lots and lots of bullets. Like electric shocks of pain, in the most unexpected places - between his toes, at the back of his skull, in his groin. Last night I counted a dozen jolts, which woke me up, and set his body jumping next to me in bed.

But now he also has a cramping pain which has seized hold of his bowels / digestive system over the past few months. We blamed the Velcade. But the trouble has not gone away since he took his last dose on 4th February. Unless he takes laxatives, his bowels stubbornly refuse to move. But the laxatives cause him to explode and leave him weak and tired. He knows he is hungry, but doesn't want to eat because he feels it makes things worse.

It may be something simple, like an imbalance of flora and fauna in his gut. He is still taking Acyclovir (an antiviral) which might be causing this. I suggested he tries eating live yoghurt, but he is dubious.

But he has at last grudgingly agreed to start taking painkillers. Just Paracetamol at the moment. But believe me, this is a whole new scenario for FL. He just doesn't "do" painkillers! Last night, when he gave in and took two pills at 2am, he slept soundly through to 5am, and it was such a relief for both of us.

This week I am insisting he sees his GP to get some proper advice.

Happy Valentine's Day!

We made it out to dinner on Friday night. FL didn't golf after all, and saved his energy so that he could take me out - it must be true love!

We went to my favorite restaurant and the food was beautiful. Neither of us managed to finish our meal, but we enjoyed the flavours, which is what matters. Um, yes, it was expensive, but we so rarely eat out and we felt like celebrating being alive!

Interesting comments are still coming in. Feresaknits wrote about having applied to her Primary Care Trust for a drug she could have funded privately, and that now I had made her feel guilty - sorry about that! But everyone is different, Paula, and your prognosis is probably better than FL's. If he was 45, we might view things differently too. Who knows.

Well, that was interesting!

I have to say I was not expecting so many interesting comments after my last post.

If you haven't read them, do go back and see what Tim's Wife and Phil Brabbs have to say about their experience of the US system. I hadn't even considered that "health insurance" might not cover the cost of prescriptions - that is truly shocking!

Moving on... FL has almost got his groove back and has gone to golf today. He might only manage a couple of holes, but the psychological boost is immeasurable. All being well, we are going out to dinner tonight!

In the spirit of preparedness, he has been making enquiries about being buried at the farm. It is less complicated than I expected, though I hadn't thought about avoiding proximity to springs and long-term access rights to his grave, should I sell the farm at some point in the future.

But then this morning he started on a new train of thought: leaving his body to the Medical School for educational or research purposes. He was about to ring up Anatomy when he realised he was going to be late for golf - living still has the priority over dying around here! : )

Oh - I got my hair cut! If you look closely you might see I have a slice of purple running through the front - woo hoo! At last! FL is pretending not to have noticed...

And yes, it is asymmetric. Hee hee hee!

Knitting:

This weekend I must get on with my Andrea's Shawl. It would have been finished long ago if I had read the instructions properly. The centre decreases started veering off to the right because I wasn't concentrating.

Asymmetric shawl anyone? Nope. Ripped. Working my way back up again...

Cindy asked...

Cindy left me a couple of comments yesterday and I thought I would bring them out onto the front page to answer.

Cindy said:

"I'm sure you're aware of all the arguments over healthcare here in the US..Obama wanting government run & most of us not wanting it. When you mention how your husband wasn't approved for SCT, it makes me feel this way all the more..yet..it's good you can get the Velcade. Revlimid did me better than the SCT. It's so hard. My oncologist was in UK several years ago at a MM Seminar. If I recall correctly, discussion about the timeliness of getting an MRI was discussed and my doctor commented that in the US, we would not accept such a delay. The UK speaker said, "well, it's a matter of expectations then, isn't it?" He meant that we expect more. What is your thoughts of healthcare...US vs UK kind??? I do not care for Obama & this administration at all...they tell so many out & out lies that I just don't trust them. I've never seen a President LIE so boldly as Obama...and then people seem to not care or believe him!! It's scary quite honestly! Thanks for listening...;)"

Well, I have to say up front that I am very much pro-Obama. I think it is fantastic that the US finally has a representative president who is trying to do all he can to help the less-advantaged members of US society. It's p-ing off the business men whose only interest is profit - and they are no doubt behind a lot of anti-Obama propaganda. I am puzzled by the promotion of the individual which seems to dominate so much US thinking. How can anyone believe socialism is wrong? Surely government should be about equality of opportunity and assisting those who find themselves in poverty to get access to work / healthcare / food? I realise I am wading in deep political mud now! Cindy has probably stopped reading!

On the subject of healthcare, I wrote that FL is not eligible for a stem cell transplant under NHS rules. But we absolutely accept that! If we wanted to, we could pay for him to go to a private clinic and no doubt BUY a SCT, but we don't believe that is the right thing to do. If we are refused Revlimid (the next drug in the MM hierarchy) it will be because the NHS has calculated that the potential benefits to FL are too small to justify the cost to the state. A logical analysis will have been carried out by health economists to reach that decision. And we accept that. But if we didn't, we have the choice to "go private". In the States, there is NO CHOICE. If people don't have money or insurance to pay for essential medicines, they die. There is no assessment of cost / benefit / the public good. It is straightforwardly about the individual and their possession or lack of money. In the same way, even though I could probably afford it, I would not pay for my kids to go to a private school - I support the state system.

Cindy, you must think we are strange strange people. But FL and I already doubt that funding Velcade at £3000 a pop to keep one man alive for a few extra months can be justified when the same money would pay a nurse's wages for two months (per dose of Velcade!) That nurse could care for perhaps 8 people?

FL is just one man. I love him dearly and I want him to live forever. But in the end we would rather the NHS spent its money on patients who have the potential to be cured rather than prolonging the existence of a man with a terminal diagnosis, with a deteriorating quality of life. We're weird like that.

Update:

FL is slowly coming back above the water level. He hasn't had Velcade since last Thursday and yesterday was the first day he felt well enough to go outside and breathe fresh air. He ate a little bit of dinner. He slept a restful sleep in bed instead of on his chair. He smiled. He read a newspaper. He cracked a joke. He hugged me.

Really, it is all about his quality of life rather than him enduring a miserable life for longer.

FO: Sprout

Here is a little something for one of this year's crop of babies.

Sprout is a sleeveless cardigan for a babe of about 3-6 months. I didn't have enough yarn for a hood, so devised a small collar instead.

The wool is Unique Sheep Super Wool in "Spruce Sprigs", a sportweight yarn. It is butter-soft, so perfect for delicate skin. I used a few grams less than the full skein.

The buttons are vintage, from Grandma's tin. After I had sewn them on, I realised that they made the garment very serious-looking. Even though I think they look like tiny cabbages. I might change the buttons... I saw some great Smarties-style ones over on Ysolda's blog and they come in lime green!

As a design project, this was great fun. I was determined to minimise the seaming as far as possible, and tried to leave the stitches "live" round the neck curve instead of casting them off and picking up later. It seemed like such a good idea at the time! However, this created a few tiny holes. If I was knitting this again, I would definitely stick to the traditional method. Only a knitter would notice them. Perhaps that decides whose baby gets this present!

The gansey diamonds are shamelessly borrowed from a Rowan DK cotton design in "Tadpoles and Tiddlers". Thinner yarn and needles (3mm) scaled the stitch pattern down to more baby-friendly proportions.

Boy or girl? It has turned out more boyish than I expected. It would look great on top of this! But then again, a little smocky dress would bring out its more feminine side!

Sigh. I do love baby clothes!

Velcade Cycle 6, Day Three - SUSPENDED

FL had a miserable weekend.

He drove me home on Friday, then went to bed and stayed there. He emerged, looking dazed, on Saturday afternoon and took me to fetch my car from the garage, then went back to bed.

On Sunday, he got up late and retreated to his reclining chair with a newspaper and didn't move again until late afternoon. I managed to get him to eat some grapes, toast and a little ice cream. That's all he ate this weekend. He definitely wasn't drinking enough. He went back to bed when I started cooking dinner. He woke at 1 am complaining of stomach cramps, so I got him two paracetamol and he managed to sleep.

He told my son that he was staying in bed "to avoid living". Which startled the boy, as you can imagine.

So he went to the hospital today with strict instructions to tell the doctor/ nurses what has been going on. I knew he was more likely to tell them how bad he has been feeling if I was not there. He relies on me to do the talking when I accompany him, and they really need to hear it directly from him.

As I hoped, the nurses took one look at him and called in the doctor. He is looking very "drawn", his clothes are hanging off him and his eyes are red and bleary. He doesn't walk so much as stagger. He feels faint every time he stands up.

He has just texted me: "Velcade suspended one month by testily abrupt Dr T".

Hmmm. So that went well then...?!

Velcade Cycle 6 Day Two

Was yesterday. It is probably best that I write about it the day after the infusion as you will get the whole story!

FL was kept waiting for less than an hour at the hospital, which was an improvement. He went straight from the hospital to the golf club for a coffee, picked up the kids from school, came home, and went straight to bed. He then slept solidly until 10.30pm! He has been exhausted all week, not helped by having a lot of driving to do.

Firstly, the school bus was cancelled due to the ice on the roads, so we decided FL should take them in, as they have already missed several days due to the snow.

Then my car broke down. Fl was partly the cause, as he took a hammer to the key when the locks froze!?! I only realised what the steady banging noise was too late to prevent damage to my car's electrics. I wish I could blame the drugs for this crazy behaviour - it was just a very-FL thing to try! So, the upshot was that my car began spontaneously locking and unlocking itself as I was driving along, and when I was parked. I was afraid it would flatten the battery. It made getting in and out quite an adventure too!

I was prepared to drive it in that state, but it then started showing warning lights - the brake light came on halfway up a hill, and then the coolant warning light came on. When I checked, the reservoir was below the minimum line. I topped it up with anti-freeze, but I swear it was running straight out again! FL says I was seeing things. SIGH. But the upshot is, my car is at the garage and FL had to give me a lift in to work today.

At least the school bus arrived this morning - we have a thaw!

So hopefully this weekend will be a quiet one. FL can catch up on sleep and I will knit.

He isn't eating. His stomach hurts. He is constipated. And YES he is taking the laxatives.

WIP: Sprout

I was sitting at my desk the other day when there came a great shrieking from down the corridor. The PR girls always seem to have so much fun at work!

However, the cause of the shrieks was the news that a colleague had given birth. 6 weeks early. I only noticed she was looking a bit large the other day!

And I realised I had better get my sticks and string in gear for the other 2010 babies I know about… before they go and get themselves born.

So I hit the stash (good girl Roo!) and pulled out my Unique Sheep Super Wool from the Woolgirl sock club of 2008. It is a sportweight supersoft wool and the handpainted colourway “Spruce Sprigs” is made up of buttered spring-cabbagey greens – yum!

I only have one skein, so I am designing a little something to fit my yardage. It will be sleeveless, button-fronted and hopefully have a little hood...though there is a risk I won’t have enough yarn for that. Thinking “baby scale”, I added a moss stitch / purl-ridgey gansey-esque stitch pattern border which I am repeating at the yoke.

I think it is unisex, with that sporty hoodie vibe.

I am also hoping it is practical as a spring / summer layering piece for a newborn. Do people dress their babies in layers these days? I just don’t know what babies wear in 2010!

Mine lived in all-in-ones and dungarees until they were potty-trained. Boy and girl.

Am I showing my vintage here?!

Velcade Cycle 6, Day One

Was yesterday.

FL had to go to the hospital without me, due to an inescapable work appointment, but we had been there so recently we thought he could cope. Which he did, although yet again he was kept waiting 4 hours for his Velcade infusion and got very grumpy. It sounds as if the nurses were prepared for him this time, offering tea / coffee/ biscuits to temper his ire. Oh dear!

We are once again in a state of snow, so FL has had to drive me to work (my car doors are frozen shut at the public road end of our farm track.) I just hope he has the energy to pick me up again tonight as it is "parents' night" for my daughter and my son has his first ever evening class in Life Drawing to boost his art portfolio. Lots of driving around for someone - and it can't be me if I am stranded in the city!

How is FL? Well, he is very tired, which is to be expected. He has devised a preventative laxative regime, so fingers crossed that will work out this month. He is feeling the cold acutely, so is bundled up in many many layers of clothing, as well as trying to keep the woodburner blazing 24/7. He is reluctant to undress in these temperatures so hasn't been showering very often and hasn't been applying his aqueous cream, so his skin is a mess of scaliness. Tsk!

Roll on springtime!