Pandora Knits

Halloween has come and gone, and the boy had lots of fun. He dressed as a …. well, I’m not really sure. Here’s a picture:

Hard to see his mask in that one, so here’s another:

See? I’m not sure what that is…psycho clown demon?? He bagged a bunch of candy, which he graciously shared with us. Not as much as I expected, but he seemed happy enough. While I was tending to the trick-or-treaters, I finished sewing up J’s Baseball sweater:

Which he then tried on and found that it was too short! So, snip snip and off with the ribbing so I can lengthen it. It’s almost done..again…

I’ve started working on the many sets of fingerless gloves that are needed for a certain holiday season, chosen a shawl pattern for a certain bride-to-be, and agreed to have Thanksgiving at my house…eek!!!

Just a couple weeks, actually. I’m busily knitting a couple of pairs of socks, being optimistic that the weather will cool off and I’ll want to wear warm socks. Actually, one pair is a present for someone. The yarn is so pretty – pick and white handpainted – called something-which-I-don’t-recall-at-this-time. The pattern is Embossed Leaves Socks from Favorite Socks: 25 Timeless Designs.

Baseball, the sweater for DH, is on hold until I find my last two skeins of Debbie Bliss Cotton Denim Aran. I cleaned, now I can’t find it. Good reason to stop cleaning, don’t you think?

Just a couple weeks, actually. I’m busily knitting a couple of pairs of socks, being optimistic that the weather will cool off and I’ll want to wear warm socks. Actually, one pair is a present for someone. The yarn is so pretty – pick and white handpainted – called something-which-I-don’t-recall-at-this-time. The pattern is Embossed Leaves Socks from Favorite Socks: 25 Timeless Designs.

Baseball, the sweater for DH, is on hold until I find my last two skeins of Debbie Bliss Cotton Denim Aran. I cleaned, now I can’t find it. Good reason to stop cleaning, don’t you think?

I guess a month between posts is my average thus far. Not much to say today, only a picture to share:

Taken on September 16, 2007 at around 7:30 AM. This is the sun rising over a soybean field. Can’t see much of the field due to darkness, but is all golden brown in the sunlight. The location was at Chalmers Road and 300 East, in White County. Enjoy!

I guess a month between posts is my average thus far. Not much to say today, only a picture to share:

Taken on September 16, 2007 at around 7:30 AM. This is the sun rising over a soybean field. Can’t see much of the field due to darkness, but is all golden brown in the sunlight. The location was at Chalmers Road and 300 East, in White County. Enjoy!

It’s been almost two months since my last post. Things have been a bit tough. Depression has reigned supreme, and my priority has been getting to work and being relatively sane at home. I did break down and go back on an anti-depressant. It’s starting to work, but it’s slow and I’m trying to be patient.

I find it interesting that, while people give lip service to depression not being something to be ashamed of, and saying that it is a medical condition, when it comes right down to it a person has to be nuts (no pun intended!) to be open about it. Saying you’re depressed just makes your co-workers look at you sideways and leads to people saying patronizing things like “You have a great (job, family, life, insert appropriate term here)! How can you be depressed?” They don’t get that is isn’t about your family, or your job, or your material belongings. It’s about your brain and your feelings. Yes, I have a great family. I have a job I like, a great boss, and co-workers who are pretty decent. I don’t have a terminal illness, I am not facing life-changing catastrophies. I’m depressed anyway.

What can you say to someone who’s depressed? Don’t tell them they should “get over it.” Don’t tell them how great her life is. Don’t tell him that he has everything he could possibly want, so what’s to be depressed about. Talk if they seem to want you to, and just sit there quietly if they don’t. Don’t force socialization on them, but don’t ignore them and leave them alone for too long. Just be friends – be there and be whatever they need.

It’s been almost two months since my last post. Things have been a bit tough. Depression has reigned supreme, and my priority has been getting to work and being relatively sane at home. I did break down and go back on an anti-depressant. It’s starting to work, but it’s slow and I’m trying to be patient.

I find it interesting that, while people give lip service to depression not being something to be ashamed of, and saying that it is a medical condition, when it comes right down to it a person has to be nuts (no pun intended!) to be open about it. Saying you’re depressed just makes your co-workers look at you sideways and leads to people saying patronizing things like “You have a great (job, family, life, insert appropriate term here)! How can you be depressed?” They don’t get that is isn’t about your family, or your job, or your material belongings. It’s about your brain and your feelings. Yes, I have a great family. I have a job I like, a great boss, and co-workers who are pretty decent. I don’t have a terminal illness, I am not facing life-changing catastrophies. I’m depressed anyway.

What can you say to someone who’s depressed? Don’t tell them they should “get over it.” Don’t tell them how great her life is. Don’t tell him that he has everything he could possibly want, so what’s to be depressed about. Talk if they seem to want you to, and just sit there quietly if they don’t. Don’t force socialization on them, but don’t ignore them and leave them alone for too long. Just be friends – be there and be whatever they need.

Due to an unfortunate knitting injury. Who knew knitting was so dangerous? I mean, sure, the needles are pointy and, as our mother’s told us (and told us…and told us…) “You could put an eye out with that!”…but aside from that and the potential for a nasty angora burn (try running that yarn through your fingers really fast and see how soft it REALLY is!), what could happen?

Two words – rotator cuff. That’s an athletic injury, you say. That happens when you put in some hard labor, you assert. True. But, apparently, it can be injured by excessive knitting as well. Something about the repetitive movement and tension that is experienced during marathon (6-plus hours) of knitting. Ignore a few too many twinges and there you have it. Three weeks of Zymain, sleeping on my back, chiropractic, Thera-band exercises, and I can finally raise my arm above my head again. My poor sock is only growing at a rate of two or three rows per day/every other day.

On another note, I’m taking a plunge that I hope makes a wonderful difference in my life. I’m going to a gathering of people outside my usual realm of experience. I’m nervous (very), anxious (again, very), and apprehensive (very very), but also excited and energized, and I can’t wait to get there. There are workshops and classes and people to talk to, and camping, and much wine of which to partake. In a word, I’m stoked!

Due to an unfortunate knitting injury. Who knew knitting was so dangerous? I mean, sure, the needles are pointy and, as our mother’s told us (and told us…and told us…) “You could put an eye out with that!”…but aside from that and the potential for a nasty angora burn (try running that yarn through your fingers really fast and see how soft it REALLY is!), what could happen?

Two words – rotator cuff. That’s an athletic injury, you say. That happens when you put in some hard labor, you assert. True. But, apparently, it can be injured by excessive knitting as well. Something about the repetitive movement and tension that is experienced during marathon (6-plus hours) of knitting. Ignore a few too many twinges and there you have it. Three weeks of Zymain, sleeping on my back, chiropractic, Thera-band exercises, and I can finally raise my arm above my head again. My poor sock is only growing at a rate of two or three rows per day/every other day.

On another note, I’m taking a plunge that I hope makes a wonderful difference in my life. I’m going to a gathering of people outside my usual realm of experience. I’m nervous (very), anxious (again, very), and apprehensive (very very), but also excited and energized, and I can’t wait to get there. There are workshops and classes and people to talk to, and camping, and much wine of which to partake. In a word, I’m stoked!

about posting, but not much is going on. Due to a knitting related rotator cuff injury, not much knitting is going on. The Baseball front, back, and most of one sleeve are done, but knitting with the cotton puts too much pressure on the sore shoulders. I am making slow progress on a new project – the Lady Eleanor Entrelac Stole from Pam Allen’s Scarf Style:

It’s going to be beautiful. I’m using Noro Silk Garden, #205 colorway from River Knits. What really gets me is the fringe, which is calling to me!

I’m really getting interested in learning to spin. A natural extension, I guess, when one is really into knitting. I’m waiting for a couple of books from Amazon and then I’ll try it out.

We went to Chicago in April, and had fun in China Town watching Micah eat Thai noodles.

We then stopped at a yarn store called Knitwerks – a very cute upscale shop where I was able to get the needles I had forgotten to bring along. It was rather strange to visit a shop where you had to be let in – she keeps the door locked since it’s not a great part of town – but what part of Chicago would be these days?? All the same, while we were there she was giving lessons to a new knitter and being very patient and helpful. Visit her if you get to Chicago.

We went from there to the Museum of Science and Industry. After posing as an astronaut….

Micah had a lot of fun at the NetWorld exhibit.

It was very cool but really illlustrates my ongoing fear that Big Brother is soon going to be able to know where we are and what we’re doing at all times. The exhibit has you purchase a necklace with an RFID tag embedded in it and register it. As you move through the exibit and participate in the activities, your progress is tracked and recorded. At the end, you can see where you went and what you did, and in what order. Be scared, people. These are the same tags that are going in the passports we now need to leave the continental US, the books we buy at the bookstore, and in almost any purchase you make at Wal-Mart…

Get scared, people, we’re trading our freedom for false security!