When there's nothing else I can do...

About a week or so ago, Anna, the 15-month old daughter of my musician-church-singing friends, had what turned out to be a malignant tumor removed from her brain. What can one say, do, or even think about such a thing?

It was bad enough when they told me that Anna had had an MRI. I had just had my first MRI for my shoulder--a loud and clanking, but open, MRI that I pretty much fell asleep in, only to wake when the technician told me the the various short segments were over and that I should move. How does a baby manage to have an MRI on her head?

Then I was told that she had had immediate brain surgery to remove the tumor they found. O God. I can't even imagine. There were stories--she was in ICU. She had pulled her IV out. She cried when anyone came in to futz with her stent. Her father had to hold her down while they took care of stitches. I can't fathom it.

Then the tumor is malignant.

Last Sunday when the priest told us during the service about Anna, our final hymn was "Joyful, Joyful Lord, we adore thee." You know, Beethoven's Ode to Joy--a hymn sung at our wedding. Well, this time, I could not sing it--just cried and processed down the aisle out of the church.

Anna is, thankfully, home now, but is facing monthly chemo treatments.

So, what can I do? Not much other than keeping Anna and her parents in my thoughts and prayers, and well, knit. Knit and hope that these little nothings will bring her and her parents a tiny bit of comfort in the months to come and know that I'm thinking of them.

Pattern: Adorabubble Sun Hat
Yarn: Sirdar Pure Cotton DK--about 90 yards.

Yarn enabler: Knit-a-Way, about 5 years ago.
Needles: Size 4 Knitpicks Harmony Circulars
Time I spent knitting this: a day.

Pattern: Cupcake Baby Hat

Pattern for the Flower: Crochet Picot Flower

Yarn: Sirdar Pure Cotton DK--about 65 yards.
Yarn enabler: Knit-a-Way, about 5 years ago.

Needles: Size 4 Knitpicks Harmony Circulars

Time I spent knitting this: a day.

Barrel of secret monkeys!

Look what I got today! Just what I needed to get in the mail on this somewhat difficult day: A spring-y card, some chocolate, and a green package of yarny sock love!



See--my socks from my Sit n' Knit Secret Sock Exchange Knitter:

MONKEYS in a perfectly ewephorically Penelope pinky-plummy-purple!


They fit perfectly and match practically everything I knit. Except I don't think I've ever knit socks in this color. These are socks I didn't even realize I really needed, so thanks, Sukyong!

Wrap it up, Part II: How did that happen?

So, in my Ravelry-induced mania to record and 'get credit' for everything I've ever knit, I asked my Mom to get out everything I've knit for her. I have NO idea how this happened, but I think my mother has more sweater knit by me than I do. Now, I like knitting for other people to some extent, but I'll be honest and say that I like knitting for myself more--does that make me a bad person? Yet somehow, my mother has managed to come away with some really nice and difficult-to-knit items made by me. I guess she birthed me and everything, but whatever! I suppose it helps that she has a bust size that has ranged from 7-15 (!) inches smaller than mine (my bust size changed, mind you). so it was easier to knit her small/medium sweaters than to make behemoths for myself at one time.

Let's go in reverse chronological order. You'll notice a chromatic theme, however....

I finally finished the Katherine Hepburn sweater. I finished knitting all of it about a month ago, but needed buttons and real-life assurance that it would fit before finishing the whole thing. Pretty much, it's perfect if I do say so myself. The color--the yarn--the texture--the fit--the sleeves. Ok, there's a little wonkiness on the top of the button band, but what can I do?

Then there was the Icarus Shawl. In all honesty, I did not start out knitting this for my mother, but when it turned out slightly smaller than I wanted for myself, she became a grateful yet unwearing recipient. She had actually forgotten about it until I asked her to get it out. Whatever. It was a learning project, and she has new appreciation for it, so maybe Icarus will fly yet.

Then there was this time that I thought, why not learn how to do stranded work on the fly? Mom really liked this sweater, and I figured the stranded work was localized and voila. I like this sweater a lot, and it came out pretty well. I almost like it enough to make one for myself, but who needs big ol' bi-color flowers parading across her ample bosom?

That sweater actually was in the same pattern book as this red-pink sweater that was the original reason for buying the booklet. Again, the lace rib was really nice, and this linen-cotton-poly blend yarn (now unavailable I think) was a great spring-weight sweater for Mom. Notice the color....

And finally, this modern aran delight. I remember NOT enjoying knitting this heavy mercerized cotton shoestring yarn. And it was the first time, I think that I knit an aran pattern and learned to use the chart.I remembered it being a little dumpy. But it has held up well, looks nice, and there's nothing much else like it. Go me!

So that totals FOUR sweaters and a lace shawl that I've knit for my rather perfectionistic mother. Ok, I have four me-knit sweaters I wear and three that I have to frog because they're way too big. Not one of them has color work. I do not have a lace shawl. I do not have a spring pullover. I better get crackin'!

Share and share alike.

You see it's not all knitting a cardigan for me, knitting socks for me, buying yarn for projects for me.
My friend, Otto the owl, is a little giftee for my friends' 2 year old. I was told she was obsessed with owls, so of course I had to make Otto. Of course, the young recipient is two, so obsessions could come and go, but maybe she'll love Otto anyway.

Pattern: Otto the Owl from And So to Bed, by Lucinda Guy
Yarn used: Berroco Ultra Alpaca. You gotta love this yarn--so soft, so squishy. I love alpaca. sigh.
Yarn enabler: Knit-a-way
Time it took to knit when I should have been: Well, I shouldn't have been doing anything else. This was my illicit project--I knit on it when my hands started hurting from knitting mercerized cotton for this. I never put the yarn on my blog. I never showed the wip because I wanted it to be a surprise. But all in all, about a month or so of intermittent knitting.

I think he's awful cute. The seams were a pain to sew up. All his little appendages are fast but kind of dorky knitting, but the yarn was a pleasure to knit. Lots of good projects in this book, might I say. I think there are some more gifts to be knit up....


Secret Secret Feet revealed. Back when my knitting group had a secret feet exchange, one pair of feet went uncovered for a little while, and they just needed some sock lovin'! My yarn pusher--um--group leader got some lovely Koigu that I made into these lovely Jaywalkers. No need to blog-blather on the ubiquitous Jaywalker or on the merits of Koigu, right? Anyway here they are--I hope Ms. Secret Secret feet liked them!