House Arrest

Stuff and Nonsense

Sorry for the delay in updating post-vacay. There is some negative stuff happening in my professional life that has been keeping me busy and silent. Things are finally coming to a resolution, and, well, it's just not going to be pretty. I can't really talk about it further, but if you're worried, we're fine for now. I'm just anxious about the future, and, well, anxiety makes me quiet.

I do have a bunch of other stuff I can update you on, though, so this post won't be all "cloak and dagger."

For starters, I made a small photo album of our WV vacation to share with those keeping up.

I'd actually made a MyPublisher scrapbook for the family that turned out REALLY well, and was going to link to the online version of it. However, their online albums leave A LOT to be desired. You can barely see the pictures or read the captions on them so I said skrew all that and picked a few select photos to share. (The printed books themselves are fabu, though.)

Second, I've got a health update. Remember when I posted, oh about 4 months ago, that I had bizarre tingling that might have been caused by a vitamin B12 deficiency? Well... the vitamin B12 I was taking was doing bupkis. I just kept feeling worse and when I woke up with both arms numb last week, I decided that enough was enough. I decided to get a second opinion and contacted the folks at Columbia Eastside for a wellness consult. I had so much luck with their docs and the practice there for my maternity that I was willing to take a blind risk on the rest of their services.

Well, I met with a Doctor Nurse Practitioner in their CAPNA group. They specialize in primary care and in dealing with the "whole" patient. They're equipped to prescribe and refer to specialists, which is basically what my old doc was doing for me, so I squashed the whole, "But you're not a doctor..." thing and went for it.

I'm sooooo glad I did. For starters, she asked me more questions than any doctor has EVER asked me. I brought along my bloodwork results from my previous doctor's visit -- from now on I will always ask for a copy of my results! Soooo helpful!  -- and she went over them with a fine-toothed comb. (She was surprised by the sheer number of tests and called it a "million dollar workup" a couple of times.)  She reviewed them along with all the other write-ups from the chest and back x-rays, the EEG and the nerve test I'd had. All had been normal, of course, which is why I'd been frustrated when the "take more vitamins and stretch" routine wasn't making me better.

She circled the abnormal stuff along the way and admitted that she needed to look up a certain panel she didn't know. (A plus since my doctor said it was something that it wasn't. I Googled.) 

Then she stopped and asked me if my doctor had done anything about my abysmally low thyroid.

Um, why, NO, he hadn't. Abysmally? I believe the term my doctor had used was "slightly out of whack..."

Well, my thyroid tested at 0.007 back in May. The normal range is 0.35 - 5.5. So, at best my thyroid is functioning at 2% at the LOW end of the norm!

My vitamin B12 was 199. The norm is 211 - 911.

Jee-zus. Talk about glaring and obvious.

Anyway, long story short, she doesn't think it's just my thyroid because of other symptoms she coaxed out of me. Stuff I would not have thought to mention came out as she asked, "Do you also have XYZ in ABC?" and the light bulb would go off in my head and I'd be like, "Why, yes. Yes I do." I could tell that she was going through some sort of mental checklist in her head and I was just confirming her hunch.

I might still have an autoimmune disorder but she suspects the main problem is with my pituitary. She sent me for some additional bloodwork -- it was funny because she kept debating about which tests to send me for as she didn't want to go for anything "unnecessary" as she obviously thought my previous doctor had done -- and I have a follow up on Wednesday. If the stuff for the pituitary shows up, then I get an MRI. If not, we can begin treating the thyroid.

I just feel overall better because a) I feel I was finally listened to as a patient and b) there is an end in sight. I don't know how far away it is, but she assured me that we would get to the bottom of it. She said we would treat each thing one at a time, and that she knew it'd be frustrating for a little bit but that we'd get there.

Seriously, that was the best news I'd had in a long time. She seemed genuinely interested in helping me and I have forever changed my idea about NPs. I've been so run down, so tired, so crabby, sooooo not me... And it sucks.

The main reason I want to be well is so that I can be a more active mom to these two:

They're growing up fast, aren't they?

I'll update you on knitting on Wednesday, but for those on Ravelry, you can visit my quasi-updated project pages...

August

Another month done and it's still hotter than balls out there.

Just saying.

Anyway, I am happy (sarcasm) because at best we only have two more months of this dreadful, humid, disgusting, drippy heat. And I will rejoice and dance and sing and pull all my wool out and roll naked in it once the heat is gone de gone gone gone.

Okay, maybe not.

But, man, knitting wool during a NYC summer heatwave sucks.

As I promised a craft update (in the small print) on Wednesday's post, I'll pony up but I have to warn that it will be pictureless  because

a) work consumed me,
b) family matters (including illness) consumed me
c) the heat nearly killed me and
d) well, I just didn't get it together to take pics before today.

I did knit though, despite the heat.

And I will give you the real truth, which is quite different from what my Ravelry projects page decrees.

First off, I've got a new project which is on a strict deadline and will supersede everything else. A friend of mine and his partner have adopted a baby girl and, come hell or highwater, I will have a baby sweater for him when he arrives at the office... 8 days from now. Gulp. The sweater in question? The Jasmine Lace Edge cardigan from Natural Knits for Babies and Moms.

Yes, I have made like a bazillion projects from that book. It really is THAT good.

I cast on this morning and am halfway through the back. Being strapped for time I have decided to make the 3 month size. That way the baby will get to wear it a couple of times before the sweater gets retired. I do normally knit the 1 year size when gifting, but time is super short in this case! Another surprise to those who know me is that I shopped my stash (that's fairly rare when I'm making a gift; I might make a prototype from stash and then splurge...) and am using some white Elann Sonata which had been earmarked for Kyoto. Since it'd been reserved since, oh, '03 for that sweater, it was really a no-brainer. Especially since I needed to start immediately in order to meet my deadline.

Now, you're probably wondering about this madness, but the guy I work with is, well, he's "one of the good ones." And they went through great emotional and fiscal expense to get this baby. In my book of karma, N & J deserve a handknit sweater to take their new daughter to brunch, the museum or whatever life may throw their way, in.

Next up, I am dying to finish Sivia Harding's Flippant flip-flop / thong socks before the summer is out. I finished the first one yesterday and kitchenered for the first time in my whole life. On the subway, no less. In five minutes. Go. Fucking. Me.

All jokes aside, it was a truly awesome "a-ha" moment. I finally got it, even though I still don't fully understand it. But I FINALLY kitchenered and feel there should be a Kniting Scout Badge just for that accomplishment.

Yarn? I'm using some leftover Fearless Fibers that I used to make Hunter a Baby Surprise jacket.

And, last, and most definitely not being worked on right now... I've got a balls-hot, heavy wool, super sweaty, lovely grey birthday sweater for Mark (Smoking by Jared of Brooklyn Tweed fame) that will probably be gifted to him by, oh maybe February of next year. Which is about four months after his actual birthday.

'Cause, you know, it's just too damned hot to knit wool.

As for sewing, don't ask. It's too fucking hot to sit in front of the machine too.

October can not get here fast enough for me.

Total Aside

Am I the only person that finds "Feather and Fan" / "Old Shale" absolutely hideous?

72

The new Knitty is up and I've got startitis in the worst way.

I'm completely in love with Laminaria and want to drop everything to make it. Of course, I already have two active (let's not mention all the ones that are hibernating!) lace projects, three baby sweaters in the works, an on-again off-again wall hanging that I work on in the evenings on the needles, four ribby wraps that just need buttons sewn on and a pinwheel sweater that just need its damned ends woven in already!

(Incidentally I also want to make the Mosey leg warmers. Thank God winter is pretty much over otherwise I would be rushing to get those on the needles, Ravelry-queue be damned.)

Knittingwise, I have been making nice progress on Hanami:

It's currently my commuting project and today I finished the first of the basketweave pattern repeats. I wanted to put in a lifeline at the end of the first repeat but didn't have my supplies with me.

You see, I use project pouches sewn by the wonderful Piddleloop team -- let me tell you, their bags go like hotcakes so stalk their store! -- which come with a matching notions case and keep my pattern, yarn, needles and supplies all happily together. Of course, all my other (well-thought out and planned for) projects are in bags that are fully loaded with supplies.  But, since a fit of "must start this today" overtook me, I threw this project together at the last minute, and never got around to fully equipping a bag.  So the lifeline had to wait until I got home and went in on row 4 of the second repeat

I have to say that I'm really enjoying this knit. And, I'm managing the charts better than I thought I would. What I've done is to shrink the charts and put them on 3x5 index cards. Then I use my small 5" Pattern Tamer to keep track of where I'm at. The reduction in size is PERFECT for subway knitting. My pattern literally sits in my open project bag on my lap where I can easily see it. No clumsy fumbling or balancing an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. And I can write notes on the back of the index card. Win, win!

Granted, I do get the occasional odd stare or curious comment as to what I'm up to but once I get in the zone no one can reach me. I love starting and ending my day with my knitting. It really helps ground me before work and gives me some me time on the way home.

In twins-related news, they're still cute as a button and not sleeping through the night:

Mark and I have given up all hope on ever sleeping again.

79

Guess what I just got in the mail?

Yeah, so much for a yarn diet.

(Although you really have to give me credit for not buying a lick of the Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk that went on sale on Elann today. I had over $100 worth of yarn in my basket when I got a hold of myself, hit cancel and closed the browser. Must. Save. For. House.)

But I really couldn't resist the Kauni. Blame Stephanie and Maria and especially Ravelry. Ravelry is beyond dangerous. I fell totally and utterly in love with Trillby's Kauni Vest while looking up other Kauni based projects. She charted the damask pattern that Maria used since that is practically impossible to find these days. I'll probably try to do the same and chart mine from other's pictures of their finished projects. I'm itching to start, however, I've lovingly hidden placed the yarn in my stash until I finish all of the baby sweaters I currently have on the needles.

How's that for motivation?

Speaking of baby sweaters, I'm roughly 3/4 of the way through the first Ribbed Baby Jacket.

This pattern is the kid's version of Lara, which I knit way back in the day when I had another blog -- you know, the one that actually had knitting content? :P

Anyway, the kid's version is just as easy -- and monotonous -- as the adult version so I plan to take a break between knitting the first and second. I still have the Milan Jackets on the needles so I will probably pick up with those again.

As for the Storm Water Scarf, I could knit on that puppy all day long. It was my commuting project all last week and I was averaging a full pattern repeat (16 rows) each day. It's so super easy and the yarn is wonderful to work with -- it actually smells kinda oceany -- but I made the hard choice of putting it aside in favor of working on the babies' stuff.

After all, a scarf will always fit me. The baby clothes I'm knitting are supposed to fit them until age 2 but at the rate I'm going I won't finish them until then!

Thankfully, spring is approaching and not fall so I have some time to work on outfits for these cuties:

As you can see, Aden and Hunter joined Mom and Dad for dinner tonight. Aden grabbed a spoon chock full of cereal goodness and put it in his mouth. It was the first time he'd actually fed himself.

Hunter wasn't to be outdone, however. She kept "ba ba ba"ing at Daddy and trying to steal the spoon and cereal from him.

Good times.

83: When I Knit

Angela mentioned in the comments to 85 that she didn't know where I found the time to knit.

I think I've mentioned in the past that I have an hour commute to and from work. Crown Heights to Midtown West and back again. 50 minutes of that is spent on the subway and that is when I get the bulk of my knitting done. I usually get a seat but I have been known to knit leaning up against the door. Heck, I knit while waiting for the train to arrive. I'm not shy about whipping out my project given a nanosecond of free time. Just don't ask me to work on complicated lace or charted projects -- the Storm Water Scarf is super easy so it's an obvious exception to the rule -- as referencing charts is next to impossible.

I also knit at night and on the weekends. This knitting is less reliable than my 5 day a week subway KIP cause either my hands hurt from carpal tunnel or I'm too tired to focus or the babies are hungry and demanding attention or I'm trying to cram something else in my life.

On weeknights at home, I usually knit between feedings. You see, the schedule works out a little like this right now. Hunter can sleep 4 hours at a shot. Aden, on the other hand, is up every 1 1/2 hours or so. He's a fussy sleeper; she's a fussy eater. (And how!)

So, I usually knit a few rows between when they go to bed (around 9:00 if we're super-lucky!) and when I get drowsy (around midnight). Some nights I spend this time opening mail or reading email or checking out blogs so no real knitting gets done. Other nights the babies want constant attention so the needles don't even get a chance to come out. And then there are the nights that I'm knitting along to Arthur (new guilty pleasure) on PBS Kids at 11:30 pm.

However, the bulk of the knitting is not done at home.

So, honestly, if it weren't for my commute, I'd probably knit half as much. (Trust me, if I had to be at home, I would find an hour to knit each day, someway, somehow.)

And Angela, you're right. It IS therapy. I have been saying this for years.

I always tell my co-workers that my knitting keeps me sane and in their world.

[Edited to add:] P.S. Here's the pic of the day:

I thought I'd have time for another post. What was I thinking?

Bitten

I'm rarely a sucker for knitting patterns, especially ones by authors who've bitten me hard in the ass in the past. But, for some inexplicable reason, I got shiny-nickled by a baby sweater pattern. It was published by some famous NYC Yarn store ladies, whose patterns leave a lot to be desired as far as I'm concerned.

Did I ever tell you about the sweater pattern that called for me to get 2 3/8 stitches per inch? Yeah, that one was actually "written" for me by them after I purchased a lot of expensive yarn at their "look down your nose at me" upper West Side store.

The pattern in question is  a simple pullover in their baby / toddler pattern book.

Which is how I got suckered. I'm always on the lookout for more things I can knit for Aden & Hunter. I ordered the book blindly from Amazon, and when I got it I saw that I shouldn't have bothered as most of the patterns called for big needles and bulky yarn. Not. My. Style. Rather than call it a wash, I decided to put aside my bad memories of previous failed attempts to knit patterns by these authors, and to try to find something I liked. Surprisingly enough, I did. There was a pullover pattern that was mindnumbingly simple,  and promised to be done in a weekend since it was knit with bulky yarn on big azzzz needles at a gauge of 2 stitches per inch.

Two. Stitches. Per. Inch. On size 15s.

Have I ever told you about the time I went to the store to buy replacement circs and I fell in love with a gorgeous scarf? They tried to get me to buy the ultra-expensive cashmere with a put-up of about 50 yards per skein for the really great looking pattern -- which was knit with yarn doubled on size 13s and called for 30 balls of the stuff.

Now I'm really good about getting gauge straight off the bat. And usually with the needles specified in pattern. I'm not a tight knitter and am really good about yarn substitutions. I feel like I'm a pro. I've paid my yarn and gauge dues, after all.

Did I tell you that I abandoned the 2 3/8 stitches per inch pattern in absolute disgust after a month? Granted I was a much, ahem, younger knitter back then. But then I went back and bought more yarn and another pattern from them. This time the decrease instructions for the neck were unintelligible. I called the store for advice and got shunned initially.

Three strikes, I told myself.

I ordered a suitable bulky weight yarn from Elann and cast on for my swatch on the required needles. I was shooting for that magic number, two.

Two. Stitches. Per. Inch.

I got three stitches per inch on size 15s and on size 17s. Double U Tee EFF? Okay, yeah, it was probably 2 1/4 on the size 15s or something equally ridiculous. I decided not to try size 19s since my fabric was already looking pretty airy on the 17s. Figuring it had to be a fluke, I ripped and reknit. Twice. Frustrated, I frogged everything, took my Harmony needles apart and put the yarn away for later.

I know what I'm going to do. I'm going to recalc their blipping pattern for a gauge of 3 spi. And while I'm at it, I'm gonna convert it to the round since I don't like the piecemeal construction they used for this puppy. Hmmm... maybe I'll do a faux purled seam too. Oh and maybe throw a cable down the front. Oh, and add a patch pocket...

Screw it. I should just pull out my Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns and design this puppy from scratch.

1:33

I'm ready to crash, having been up and about since 5:30 this morning, but I'm staying up so I can give the babies their next dose of Tylenol. Turns out that they did not avoid catching my cold -- which I'm actually not quite over. They've both been feverish and fussy today, and have made Mark's day a living hell. Unfortunately, Mark is also feeling under the weather, which is going to make for an interesting week as I REALLY can't take any time off this week. My majordomo important project is hitting Beta this week and I absolutely have to do the face-time thing at the office.

Oy.

If Mark winds up being too sick to care for the babies, I may have to beg a favor from one of my friends. It'd be a paid favor, as I would compensate him / her for looking after the babies, but still, it's a major one. I keep kicking myself for not finishing enrolling the babies in ELC, Inc's backup daycare, but I realize that I wouldn't be able to drop them off if they were sick so it's kinda moot.

To keep myself busy tonight, I made it about a third of the way through on the second of the newborn ribby wraps. This one is in Knit Picks Wool of the Andes:

The second one is going a lot faster than the first since I now understand how the pattern works a bit better. Being that the baby is due any day now,  I'm going to shoot for four - six wraps, half in the newborn sizes and half in the small. This is a pretty quick knit, although I AM dreading all the finishing work, but I'm pretty comfortable in thinking I can accomplish that. In addition to the initial grouping of Ribbies, I also want to make at least one Hybrid Rib Soaker since Sandy has expressed an interest in having some in that pattern later on down the line when the baby is a bit bigger.

In anticipation of the next ones, I dug out some Cascade 220 Superwash from my stash:

(The colors are actually nicer than they appear here...)

I also dug out this yummy treasure:

It's to make these:

Yup, they're the ubiquitous Transition Gloves. I fell in love with some of the finished ones on Ravelry and well you can guess the rest...

I may reorganize my queue a bit so that I can start these after I finish the soakers. I admit that knitting all the baby knits I have embarked on for the twins can get a bit monotonous so maybe having a little fun something something waiting for me at night will keep me motivated.

I'm trying real hard not to be shiny-nickled this year.

P.S. Expect a MAJOR update to the 365 galleries. I've all the pictures but haven't gotten around to picking, resizing, cropping, uploading, etc. I plan to get that all done by MLK day at the latest.

Oh Christmas Tree

Alas, this will be a photo-less post as I was rushing on my way out the door this morning. Which is a shame because we got our first Christmas tree ever on Saturday and I'm so tickled over it.

Well... this is the first tree that Mark and I have ever gotten together and the whole experience is all the more special because it's our first tree with the kiddos, so of course, I wanted to go all out with the full-blown holiday regalia. Personalized stockings for everyone including the pets. Check. (Well, mostly. I cheated with the cats. They get to share one stocking personalized with the words "The Pride.") Matching tree skirt. Check. Shiny new stocking holders. Check.

I wanted the tree to be baby / pet safe so I chose the ornaments with care — especially since I didn't know how the cats or Maia would respond to the tree. We decorated the tree in a snowflake theme using crocheted snowflakes I got from Lillian Vernon and a dozen or so white plastic glittery ones I got from Target. Since they're all non-breakable, I don't have to worry if one falls on the floor. And since, they were cheap I won't have a conniption fit if one of the cats runs off with one or three.

We added lights, a garland reminiscent of chandelier drops and a white, lighted star. Mark prefers stars to angels so we used one that he's had for decades. I put the stocking holders on the yarn dressers, and filled the babies' and the cats' stockings with goodies prior to hanging them. Maia's treats have yet to be purchased, so sadly her stocking is still empty as Mark's and mine are.

While decorating, I turned the music to Christmas tunes and broke out a bottle of bubbly and the champagne flutes that we used on our wedding day. Mark and I sang and danced babies round and had a really sweet time.

Sunday morning, while the twins alternately napped and played in their Jumperoos, I wrapped their presents and stowed those under the tree. I only have two more left to wrap and will hopefully get to those over the course of the week. Mark and I haven't bought each other our gifts yet, so those presents will come later. In all likelihood it will be one box for each that's filled with a few different things. My brother sent us some gift certificates for the twins, so I have to figure out what I'm going to get them from him.

Upon reflection, it's really nice to be able to provide my family with so much. Growing up we didn't have an nth of what my kids currently have. They already have like two dozen stuffed toys, tons of soft blocks, videos, books, electronics...

I had three dolls and maybe two boardgames for my entire childhood.

So I'm grateful and thankful for everything that I have and am able to do. I'm also super-grateful for my friends who help me get there. My friend Nate and his wife Traci have been helping us keep our kids clothed by sending us care packages. We got another one recently and just the fact that we're thought about brings me such feelings of warmth and love.

In fact, this weekend, I paid it forward by giving my friend Sandy the baby clothes that Hunter had outgrown. She's due in January and I was extremely happy to be able to help her out by giving her stuff.

Knitting-wise, I am taking a break from baby knits this week and am making Tudora as well as a pair of legwarmers for myself. (Why yes, I wear legwarmers! How else am I going to keep my legs warm while wearing skirt suits?) I frogged my His/Her Reversible scarf as I had gotten bored with it. Besides that scarf was going to use up three luscious balls of Malabrigo and I figured instead of having them be held up in limbo, I could use them for a project that I was excited about. So I frogged the scarf and then had to wait long torturous hours until I was off duty -- the twins kept me too busy all day to do much of anything -- to wind up the skein. I cast on for Tudora during my commute this AM and am planning on working on it ALL NIGHT. For serious.

I'm also planning on knitting a little secret something something but I won't talk about what it is. Let's just say the yarn is en route and I will be adding it to my Ravelry list when it's done.

Anyway, this is going to be a slightly hectic week for me, so don't be surprised if I post less during the latter half. It's just my quarterly cycle of running around for a day and being all stressed about it.

Of Fuss and Men

As you can glean from the title, Aden's been fussy as of late.

Wait, I need to back this truck up.

Aden has been insane as of late. Yesterday, he and Hunter engaged in a fuss-fest that turned into a scream - our - little - red - faces - off fest. They screamed so loudly -- I was trying to strap them both into the double stroller to wheel them around the house because they just WOULD NOT STOP shrieking -- that Mark woke up and came to my rescue.

I've barely recovered.

This is an entirely new development for me. I've gotten used to them being happy and mellow. To their fussing but not fighting prior to be put to bed. At most I've had to work an hour to get them to sleep.

Last night, Mark spelled me at 11:30 and they were just starting to fall asleep then.

Oy.

I was fearing that tonight would be more of the same, and it was. On Aden's part.

But he is finally settled and I can finally take off the Mommy hat, slip out of my Working Mom corporate shoes, take off the domestic diva / wife apron and settle into the "Liz's downtime" robe.

All the while I'm missing moments like this:

And I wonder if I made the right choice in going back to work.

But, nights like tonight and last night kinda tell that I'm right where I need to be.

Mark must be a saint.