Um. Where’s the green?

Not here.

 Ah.  Here’s a little green.

Even though I have other projects I should be working on (Cable Luxe Maxi!), I cast on for my Oblique last night.  I am in love with the yarn.  Ultra Alpaca by Berroco.  It’s so soft and easy to work with (so far).  I do have a knitterly question for you all though.  What is the advantage/purpose for the twisted 2×2 rib?  The pattern calls for that (knit/purling half the stitches through the back loop) and as far as I can tell, it’s a little tighter, I guess because of the twisted stitches, but I don’t see any aesthetic difference between it and regular old 2×2 ribbing.  I’m so excited to work on it though.  Whee!

Just checkin’ in.

I think the thing I’m most surprised about is the muscular achiness.  I was prepared for the nausea and the general yuckiness.  After I had the Neulasta shot on Wednesday, I was so sore.  Like I’d been climbing a mountain instead of passing out on the couch.  I feel better today.  Still not much appetite, but I have been eating some.  Monster headache!  So that part sucks.   The kids are gone today and it’s really quiet.  Too quiet really.  I didn’t actually sleep any better with them gone, still woke up every couple of hours anyway.  My sister called this morning.  Sounds like J slept like I did.  I’m sure L is having a great time on her princess weekend with her aunt.  J’s always been a homebody/mama’s little boy so I’m not too surprised he had a tough time.  I’m so grateful to them for taking him though, I know it’s rough when they have a baby and an almost preschooler too.  Anyway, I’m trying to psyche myself up for a little walk round the neighborhood before the crappy weather sets in.  It’s hard to tell in the picture but it’s really sunny in the backyard and really grey off to the east.  And yes.  There is a plastic bag stuck in the apple tree. 

The Day After

I realized after I titled the post that “The Day After” actually brings some horrific mental images to mind for those of us “lucky” enough to view the 1980s miniseries.   Heh.  Truthfully I mostly feel like I have the flu. Chemo itself was pretty uneventful.  I guess some people even take naps during it.  Apparently one guy even snores pretty loud so they have to wake and turn him.  Mostly it was just DH and myself in a comfortable room with recliners, blankets and pillows.  First time is the longest, the Avastin itself took an hour and half, then another hour for the Adriamycin and Cytoxan.  My I.V. pole is named Jethro.  Apparently they’re all named Jethro to avoid confusion.  The nurses watched in awe as I worked on my hand warmers.  (Yes another pair from Last Minute Knitted Gifts.)  Working with double pointed needles always makes me feel like a rock star (or an idiot depending on the pattern.  I hate it when you realize that the cast on you did is too loose and the needles just fell out.)  I felt pretty good yesterday until the evening and that’s when the nausea kicked in.  Took my Compisine (don’t know how to spell and too lazy to look it up) and drank more water and felt good enough to go to sleep.  Woke up every two hours but then that’s nothing new with toddlers around.  As I said before, feel like I have the flu today.  I understand that will probably get worse with the Neulasta shot this afternoon.  Woo.  🙂

Sassy Hat

I had this weird feeling today.  Like I needed to get as much done possible before chemo starts.  Logically I know that’s sort of absurd as it’s not like I’m going to be bed ridden or anything.  So because I had this feeling, J got a haircut, I did some staple grocery shopping, and got the oil changed on the car.  Since it was lunch time, the oil change took a little longer than normal so I decided to go for a walk.  Lunch at McDonalds (oh so healthy!) and then a walk around the strip malls.  I found a Ross (Dress for Less) that I didn’t know was there and that’s where I found my sassy hat!

Let me tell you.  It says One Size Fits All, but I’m not believing them.  It’s a little snug.  I’m hoping it will fit better sans hair.  What a weird thing to think, no?  It’s amazing what cancer does to your logic.

 Oh yes.  And because I’m a great big old copy cat.  I got this off of Joan’s blog.

You Are Apple Green

You are almost super-humanly upbeat. You have a very positive energy that surrounds you.And while you are happy go lucky, you’re also charmingly assertive. You get what you want, even if you have to persuade those against you to see things your way. Reflective and thoughtful, you know yourself well – and you know that you want out of life.

What Color Green Are You?

I’m a bad, bad mom.

Yes.  He’s sleeping.

Benign!

What a lovely word.  It’s been forever since I’ve heard it used to describe me.  Heh.  So both the nodule and the weird thing are benign!  Can I get a Hoo-ray?!   Neither thing shows any signs of being cancerous at all, just weird.  And apparently people live with weird things in their bodies all the time.

 As for knitting, I’m currently working on an EZ percentage yoke sweater for DD, a pair of handwarmers for my MIL’s birthday, the Cable Dress for my Mom (heh, I’m ALWAYS working on that one!), and a Lousia Harding hat with cute little flowers.  I have to say I’m totally impressed with the Impression yarn by Louisa Harding.  It knits up so differently from what it looks like in the ball and the touch of mohair makes it really soft.  Knit up, it reminds me of a Monet with a little shimmery something.  I’ll get a picture soon.

Good thing they’re cute.

5:30 this morning.  5:30!  I heard the pitter patter through the hallway.  I peeked over my covers and saw a 5 year old shadow followed by a 2 year old shadow trot past my door.  About 30 seconds later, the shadows go back the other direction.  This keeps up for about 15 minutes until my alarm goes off.  Yes.  I have the biopsy this morning.  Bleah.  The 5 year old shadow comes into my room and says, “Mommy!  We’re sneaking!”  “‘Neaking!” the 2 year old reiterates.  Ah well, it’s time to get up anyway.

Back to the surgeon

Woke up this morning and noticed that my notaboob seemed bigger.  Realizing that it was probably not growing back, I poked it and it rippled.  Like a waterbed.  So…back to the surgeon to aspirate the notaboob.  40 ml!  Apparently this can keep happening.  Woo.

Ah, twas not to be.

Got the results from the ultrasound of my thyroid.  There is a 1.7 cm nodule on the right side of my thyroid and a strange mass underneath the left side somewhere between the thyroid and my clavicle.  Leave it to me to get something truly weird.  My oncologist says it is very unlikely that either one is cancer, but it is important to find out what these things are.  So…another biopsy this week.  Woo.

FO’s old and new

Here’s the long overdue Glowing Colors Afghan from Lion Brand.  VERY easy knit.  Basically Jiffy yarn doubled on size 17 needles.  I did add a crocheted border that is not in this picture.

My sister left a bunch of yarn that was originally intended for a baby afghan at my house.  She mentioned that she really needed to make something for one of her friend’s babies.  So.  What’s a girl with lots of sitting time and doctor’s appointments to do?  She looks through all of her magazines and books until she finds one in the right gauge that calls for worsted weight and gets a-knitting.  Voila.  The Crimson Cutie sweater from the most recent Creative Knitting.  This is the first time I’ve made something from Creative Knitting and while it is cute, I think it was a little bit harder than the easy rating it got.  It assumed that I had a lot of knowledge that I’m not sure a new knitter would have.  I did have to adapt the hem because I ran out of yarn.  The original calls for a picot edge made by yarn overs and then folding the edge and sewing.  Still cute though.