Archives for April 2016

One Small Step…

April 28, 2016 // by editor

One small step for mankind … one giant leap… Ok. Let’s be real, It’s one small waddle for me. I won’t be leaping anywhere any time soon.

So here’s the scoop. I am walking in the boot [insert Kermit Yay here]. And boooy is it tiring. So I’m not giving up the scooter just yet, plus I can’t put much weight on it without the boot. I’m definitely not ready to do stairs. And I would like to thank my sexy hunk of man for asking the question … can I sleep without a brace!! The answer was “sure”! If I could have danced I would have.

The bad news is … Doctor Very Handsome is moving to Wisconsin in June so we need to do the 2^nd surgery in May or early June now. But the good news on that is … it’s a Friday in/out thing.

No word on physical therapy. That will now happen after the next surgery. I can wait. I’m still not ready for the volleyball team yet, but I should be by… well, I won’t sign up quite yet.

So that’s the short of it. Have a great weekend everyone!!

Cat in the Hat Knit Bookmark

April 23, 2016 // by editor

Yarn: Not much worsted (medium (4)) Red, White & Blue. I used Caron Simply Soft Solids Blue Mint, Red Heart Classic Solid White & Red Heart Classic Solid Jockey Red

Needles & Hooks: US 7 Double Pointed Knitting Needles
4.5 MM (US 7 or G or H) Crochet Hook

Notions: Tapestry needle

Gauge: Not important at all (my kind of project!)

Need to Know Knitting: Casting on, Knitting in the round, Increasing, adding a color, and how to chain in Crochet!

Abbreviations:
kfb = knit into front and back of stitch (increase)
k = knit

I was completely inspired by Catina Anderson’s crocheted version. But that is crochet and I suck at crochet. Don’t get me wrong – did try and mine where nowhere as cute as hers. So with that in mind off I went into design mode to make a knit version. This write up is completely almost finished. If you have any questions, please just leave me a comment below. (You will have to sign up so that I know you aren’t a spambot – sorry.) A downloadable pdf is available through ravelry (without the pictures) (Ravelry Download)

There are 2 versions …. a fatter version and a thinner version. The pictures below are mostly of the fatter version but it really doesn’t make a difference (I was just noting it in case someone wondered). All images are clickable to make them larger.

Let’s knit!

With Red – Cast on 4 stitches (we are starting at the crown of the hat). Leave at least a 6 inch tail.

Row 1: kfb all stitches (8 total)

Row 2: Fatter: *K, kfb* (repeat 3 times) (12 total stitches)
Row 2: Thinner: Knit (8 total stitches)

Now is a good time to stop and redistribute your stitches so that you have 4 per needle (or 3 ish for the thinner). OR if you don’t mind have a whole bunch on needle … press on!

Row 3: K
Row 4: K
I added a marker at this point so I know where my beginning is at a quick glance.

Row 5: K We will be adding the white for the next row. Do NOT Cut the RED!!!

Row 6: In white K
I knit the tail into the 2nd and 3rd stitch so I don’t have to weave it in later.

Row 7: K
Don’t forget stitches 2 and 3 will be double strands.

Row 8: K We will switching back to the red for the next row. Do NOT Cut the WHITE!!!

Side note: Try to keep the gap between needles as tight as possible. Especially when going from row to row. Below is a little big and should be tightened up.

Row 9: In red K

Row 10: K

Row 11: K

Row 12: K We will be switching back to the white for the next row. Do NOT Cut the RED!!!

Row 13: In white K

Row 14: K

Row 15: K We will switching back to the red for the next row. Do NOT Cut the WHITE!!!

Row 16: In red K

Row 17: K

Row 18: K

Row 19: K We will be switching back to the white for the next row. Do NOT Cut the RED!!!

Row 20: In white kfb.

BO and join the white to make a nice round brim. (Pick up the first bound off stitch and slip the last bound off stitch over the picked up stitch.)

Cut the white and red. Leave a long enough red tail to sew up the bottom of the hat. Weave in the white end.

Pull on the original cast on tail to bend the hat slightly to one side and tie to the other red tail tightly against the hat. I tried to get mine to bend on the color jog. Tuck the original tail up into the hat (no need to cut or weave it in – yay!).

Sew up the bottom of the hat with the longer red tail.

Weaving in (tying off your choice) the end and pull it up through the hat and cut.

And the hat is off needles!

Now for the blue. With the blue & the crochet hook pick up a bit of the red where you sewed up the bottom.

Chain between 40 & 50. Mine is 45. If you are going to give it with one the Seuss books I’d go 50. Do note end – leave the last chain open and nice & big (it is going to hold the tassel) with a long tail and cut the yarn.

Cut 2 8” pieces of all 3 colors.

Slip them through the last chain and tighten the loop.

Tie off the tail. I created a more tassley look by wrapping the blue tail around the tassle part and tying it off. And leaving the now tied off tail so there are 5 blue strands in the tassle.

Trim the tassel.

Tie off the blue at the hat and weave it through the hat and cut it off.

And TAH-DAH! We have a bookmark.

The Big 5 Oh!

April 14, 2016 // by editor

Wooooooooo Hooooooooooooo! Two weeks have passed and I’m at the Big Five Oh!

What? No! Not the Big 5-0 years old. I’m taking about 50% weight on my left foot. The 5 oh years old thingy happens tomorrow. But that’s not important right now. Walking people! Walking is the important bit.

I’ve been slowly adding a little weight over the last 2 weeks. It still hurts a bit when I put a good bit of weight down on the foot, but it’s getting there. And that’s only because I haven’t walked on the foot since … Good Lord! Over 3 months. Crutches are going to be so much easier now that I can put some weight on my foot. Although the scooter is still my main squeeze until I can walk.

And for those of you who are as confused as I was on the how do you know how much weight is 50% weight. 25% is basically foot down on the floor and using it to keep your balance. 50% is slight more complicated and involves a scale and memory. And for me, sucking it up and hopping up [insert laugh track here] on the scale.

So that is it from the trenches for now. Thanks for tuning in!

Love, Hugs & Other signs of affection one can do in public.

PS – if you want me to stop sending you these things, just send me an e-mail telling me to STOP! You can’t take me anymore.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

April 2, 2016 // by editor

Happy Thursday!

Today was the a follow up doctor’s … Now that I think about it … I don’t think I’ve ever seen that movie. Sorry… off topic (again).

Today was the a follow up doctor’s appointment. And we had some good news, some not so good news and some “get out your video camera people” news.

The Good: Me! I am healing nicely and I was told I am being a good patient! How about that? I am trying to be positive and do as the Doctors say. David looked at the x-rays and said the Mona Lisa doesn’t look any better than they do. I think he’s exaggerating just a bit. The PA is pleased with my progress and the shattered bone is knitting (of course my bones knit!) back together. Also my night brace was approved (I’ve only been wearing it for 2 weeks) as long as I don’t try to walk in it. Girl Scouts Honor – it’s only for sleeping aaaaaannnnd maybe lounging about the house. No weight bearing.

The Bad: I’m just over half way into this. I have at least 4 more weeks of scootering about. But I can start to put weight on my foot 25% for 2 weeks graduating up to 50% – as long as it is in the boot. Then in 4 weeks another round of x-ray’s and assuming all is healing as it currently is then we begin physical therapy. So I’m looking at probably 6 to 8 more weeks of scooter & boot. The doctors are being very conservative and this seems to be taking forever because of the shattered bone.

The Ugly: Me on crutches! Ok maybe not ugly, but giraffe on roller skates does come to mind. I need to be slightly more car friendly on 4/26 (the PA Primary Election) so I got crutches today. I will need a lot of practice between now and then. Get out your video cameras … this might just go viral.

And finally surgery to remove the pin. PA Cutie Pie called the pin by its technical name. Yeah, ummm the big pin is what we will call it. That’s a good news type thing. It has to be in place 12 weeks. Ok we are 11 weeks from when the placed it in my person. Only one more week and it can come out. Which isn’t really convenient time wise for me. No problem, it can stay in until after I can walk again. As a matter of fact some doctors never remove the pins unless they break. Ummm, break? Isn’t that what started this whole mess – a break? Thank God that’s not the philosophy of this office – they like to remove the pins while they are still intact. I like that too.

So that’s the news from Lake Woebeme. It’s not all great, but it’s all good and I am moving forward. So watch out for your toes!

Hugs!