Knit Addict

We’ve made it through the last couple of weeks, but it’s been tough.

Squeek kept getting better, but then had a relapse last Tuesday night.  She’s going to be OK - we caught it before it got really bad but it sure scared us.  I’m pretty sure she had it because we had just started giving her a normal dose of insulin again.  She had been eating so little we were giving her a lower dosage.  I think she had sugar in her urine, which set her right up for another infection.  We only force fed her a couple of times, and she’s acting normal again.  Appetite still isn’t what we’d like, and she’s painfully skinny, but is mending well.

Speaking of force feeding, do you know what happens when you combine a feeding syringe with a sticky plunger, a slurry of wet cat food, and a human who’s not necessarily the brightest bulb in the box?

For a little perspective, that brown corner?  That’s the molding that runs around the wall/ceiling joint - think it’s called crown molding.  As for the exact story?  I’ll let you use your imagination.  Bless his heart, Jim cleaned it up without complaint.  Which was good - I was laughing so hard I probably would have fallen off the kitchen counter too.

Jim brought a cold home from his retirees retreat the same weekend as the GYC retreat.  His dropped into bronchitis and he was really sick for a few days.  Guess what?  His generous self shared.  And mine got out of hand too.  I was flat on my ass for 4 days, and probably should have made it 5.  I wound up with bronchitis and a throat and ear infection.  Blech!

While all that was going on - his winding up, mine just really settling in - the hot water heater gave up the ghost.  The hall carpet and part of the yarn room carpet were pulled up for the better part of a week while everything dried out.  We did go back in with a tankless unit though, which is pretty cool.  It’s much more expensive initially, but the energy savings and the environmental impact are worth it to me.  They also last much longer - 20+ years on average - and are usually repairable when something goes wrong.  We’ve been very happy with it so far.  It does take a little longer for the hot water to arrive at the tap, but once it’s there it’s consistent.  And you never. run. out.  Imagine - two showers back to back and a load of dishes going.  All the water as hot as you want it.  I’m in heaven.  And I’m also very thankful I learned my lesson a few years ago and keep a savings account I can access at a moments notice.

The dogs are wonderful, as always.  Brandi thinks she’s a bear, at least when she sits sometimes.

While I actually didn’t even knit two days of my sickies (yes, I really did feel that bad) I did do some in my more lucid moments.  The Apres Surf Hoodie came back out to play.  I’m past the arm holes on the back.  Actually considering ripping them back to extend the patterning a little more towards the edge.  My problem there is I really don’t want to interrupt my two stitch edge for neat seams.  I guess I could add one more stitch on each side and that would take care of the problem.  Not sure yet - I’m thinking on it still.

And finally, the Malabrigo in my stash has been calling me for a few weeks.  I finally gave up and went hunting for a project.  Found it in the Ella Jacket.   The pattern actually calls for holding two strands of a finer yarn together, but I’m good with one strand of the Mal.  It’s knit in a stitch called Fisher Rib.  My knitterly little brain has been busy comparing it to the Knit One Below method.  And to Brioche stitch.  Technically I guess it would be like a half-Brioche because you only do the wrap/slip move on one side of the ribbing.  Bah - too complex to explain this morning when I’m still on my first cup of coffee.  Suffice to say I’m keeping myself quite entertained thinking about it while my hands just knit.

For the long weekend - not much.  I do have a couple of goals, but they’re not set in stone.  One is to get the shoes in my closet back into some sort of order.  I’ve started wearing some of the summer shoes, so there’s this huge jumbled mess in the floor instead of nice ordered rows tucked up under the clothes.  The other is the yarn room.  It’s in dire need of organization, although most of the clutter isn’t yarny at all.  Won’t take that long, but it will take away from the knitting time.  I think tomorrow I’m going to pop up to the store and hang out with Margaret for a while.  I suspect Nina will come along too.

Happy long weekend everyone.  Remember why we have this holiday - if it weren’t for our armed forces and the sacrifices they have made and contine to make, we wouldn’t have the freedoms we have.  Hug a vet - and never forget.