The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

What can I say, life comes with all 3. Usually one at a time, but sometimes all at the same time. Life sometimes throws you curve balls and if you don't duck fast enough...well....

What to talk about first....

I think I will start with the Ugly and make my way to the Good. That way this post will end on a high note.

The Ugly

Cancer. It's ugly. It leaves you scarred, scared, a survivor in a nightmarish war with your own body. My sister is a warrior in that war. I can only hope she is strong enough to win.

Kidney Stones. Something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. My husband suffers from these on a daily basis. Doctor diagnosed him as a gravel maker which means ultra sound treatments, pills, etc won't do much to help since the stones are already gravel. The Dr described it as toothpaste being pushed out of his kidneys. I think my husband would rather describe it as a steel ree-bar with razor blades added just for fun being shoved through the tubes and his bladder.

The Bad

Unemployment. It's bad when you temp and no one calls. You know you're in trouble when the want ads dry up, big companies move away or close down, hiring freezes are everywhere and you still have to find money to pay rent, meds, food and bills. Employment insurance doesn't even come close to what you made which leaves you at a deficit. So you rob Peter to pay Paul until Paul squawks and you rob Joe and on it goes. Let's hope this economic downturn doesn't last long. More and more people are ending up with no job, food banks are running out of food and the waiting time for welfare is not getting any shorter. When you read that welfare applications have grown exponentially since the beginning of 2009 you know it's bad.

The Good

A wonderful lady on Ravelry sent me a size 10 US circular needle to finish my sister's Adamas shawl. It's now done! and it's gorgeous. Binding off, the shawl unfolded like a butterfly emerging from its coccoon. Now to find the money to ship it to her.

I also knit 2 caps for her. One is of my own design and the other from this pattern.
Both feel very soft to the touch and since she wanted green, I obliged with some warm rich green yarn, soft as velvet to the touch. The cap I designed is for those cooler nights/days while spring grows into summer. The other is for warmer weather, eyelet lace lets air circulate freely and the design doesn't make it stand out as a "chemo" cap which I think she will appreciate.

The shawl for my girlfriend is coming along very nicely. I'm adding beads every few rows to the double decreases. The pattern is called Waves of Leaves and it's a pleasure to knit. I'm using a size 10 circular with laceweight yarn held doubled. It has a nice fuzziness to it and the pale fuschia will make it look like she has a rose wrapped around her shoulders with sparkling drops of dew scattered over it. One more repeat and the final finishing rounds to go.

Once this shawl is done, I will then move on to a shawl for me. I've decided that it will be my wedding shawl once it's completed. The pattern is from BadCatDesigns and was a KAL in a yahoo group. I finally have the size 3 US circular needle, a gift from another fellow Raveler. The yarn was a gift from another wonderful lady on Ravelry, it is undyed white wool blend and will remain white until after my wedding. I will likely dye it but no decision on what color at this point. Likely something in the fuschia, or red range. Only time and my mood will tell.