Not a Typical 24 Hours

There are threes things I am writing about today and then I will show you what I do have completed on the Gramps. But before that a quick photo of the last of this year's pink roses in a lovely purple hydrangea blossom.

1. Mammogram

My doctor has put me on a five year schedule for mammograms, which is just fine with me. I am low risk of breast cancer and the procedure is annoying. (Yes, you're right it is also necessary). Over a five year period though, things changed at the medical lab where the mammogram is done. It is now in a separate location, meaning only women enter and exit the X-Ray area, I like that. In the past we were given a scant gown and asked to wait for our turn in an area where both genders sat. In a new process, I was asked to remove my bra and deodorant and put my shirt back on. Ok, I thought this was pretty efficient. I left the dressing room and the female technician was waiting for me, no waiting, great. As I walked into the room she told me to just take off my shirt (my shirt had no buttons on it). I don't think of myself as a prude, but perhaps I am because I started longing for the good old days with the flimsy gown. Of course the room was air-conditioned so not only was I exposing myself to a complete stranger, I was also cold. As a general rule I try to avoid both of these dynamics. Atypical

2. Thumb Brace

As I jump through the medical hoops regarding the arthritis in my left thumb I find this apparatus needs to be worn at least at night and if the pain persists during the day as well. Look at it, my poor thumb is completely immobile, of course that's the point. And how does it work for knitting? Not very well, which of course is the point. For the time being until things settle down there will have to be a lot less knitting done. Outside the norm

Photo credit to Natalia Reardo

3. Fire

As I tried to drive home last evening the main route seemed particularly clogged. There was a fire at the Flavelle Saw Mill which I wrote about last Fall here. The saw mill is close enough it can be seen from our deck. The fire lasted for about five hours and water seemed to have been sprinkled on it at least until it was too dark for me to see. The wind was in the oppose direction of our home so the house was not invaded by thick black smoke, unfortunately others in the area were not so lucky. Check out some of the coverage here and here. A giant fire is generally not something I see from the deck. Uncommon

4. Gramps

Those buttons for Gramps (by Tin Can Knits) really got to me. Within a couple of days I completed the body and one sleeve for a size 6-12 month old sweater. All that is left is the other sleeve, the button band and collar. And so far I really like what I see. The sweater only calls for five buttons and the card holds six. Here's a close up of all six buttons. (I know the brown button on the pink ribbing doesn't show very well, but it is there.)

I think I know the one I will kick off the island, but I'm open to your suggestions. The button band will be knit in pink, BTW.

Anatomy of a Sock

I've been knitting socks for a relatively short time. One of the disconcerting things for me as I started following patterns for socks is the pattern designer assumes the knitter (in this case that would be me) knows all the parts of a sock. So I thought I'd devote a post to improve my own knowledge about the anatomy of a sock and maybe some of you will learn something about the humble yet necessary sock as well. Here's the names of the parts of the foot as I know them. #49 ankle, #50 heel, #51, instep, #52 ball, #53 big toe, #54 toe, #55 little toe, #56 toenail. There are some parts more important for this discussion; first the heel of a foot is generally used to refer to the entire C-shape from the ankle to the instep. Speaking of the instep, it refers to that curve near the bottom of the foot. And what seems to be missing in the design above is the sole which generally refers to the bottom of the foot in total or plantar aspect in more technical terms...

Ode to the Cat

It has been six months since Mike, the cat's, passing. I think of him every day and miss him especially when Paul is away. Mike was a being in the house with me and we were close. Grieving his death has been muddled with my Dad's passing and sometimes I feel guilty about that happening. As time passes the ache becomes less hurtful for both and I am starting to get mostly good memories in its place. Recently I helped celebrate Pablo Neruda's birthday with Jami, my poet and overall very creative friend. Guests were asked to select one poem written by Neruda to read to the small group who gathered for the celebration. I picked this one: Ode To The Cat -- Pablo Neruda There was something wrong with the animals: their tails were too long, and they had unfortunate heads. Then they started coming together, little by little fitting together to make a landscape, developing birthmarks, grace, flight. But the cat, only the cat turned ou...

Knitting-Related Guinness World Records

I had to share some of the Guinness World Records connected with knitting. It is amazing to me the type of skill, stamina and unique characteristics these record holders have in common. How about trying to knit with these SPNs?? Ingrid Wagner and her large needles and knitted swatch The largest knitting needles measured 3.5 m (11 ft 5.8 in) long and had a diameter of 8 cm (3.15 in). Ingrid Wagner, a rug and art creation artist, from the UK used the needles to knit a tension square of ten stitches by ten rows at the Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, on March, 10 2008. (And I complained about getting certain SPNs stuck in my clothes.) See how this swatch was done with merely 5 people managing the needles. And what about the yarn? It is truly ex-bulky. It looks like they're knitting in a warehouse, but with a wingspan of almost 24 feet or 7 m, you'd need all that space. Or h...

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