WEEK 10 POST-SEPTIC SHOCK IS STILL GIVING GIFTS

The results of Friday's lab test showed I have too much iron in my blood which accounts for the excruciating headache, breathlessness and overall fatigue. 

 I thought I was a goner yesterday from the pain.  

Today, I went in and had blood drawn--like an old-fashioned 

blood-letting;  it will bring the iron down and it started to relieve the pressure in my head even before we were finished!  

I will be repeating this for a few weeks to see how I respond to it.  I am also admonished to drink a LOT more water

 because my blood was too thick.  

Bill treated me to a lunch out after the blood draw; 

it sure was a good way to end the adventure.  

Good bye blood!

 

AHHH, SOCKS ON THE NEEDLES!

 The new yarn is pleasant to work with--enjoy as soft as KnitPicks Stroll but not as rough as LionBrand's sock yarn.  I do love the colors!  As with all striped yarn, you just want to watch the next color happen so it knits up very quickly!

JUST MORE KNITTING

I used up the last of two balls by using the Helix way to stripe them.  Both hats are made with the same number of stitches but I used a smaller needle for the hat on the right.  Fun to experiment.  The ball of yarn on the top I ordered from Amazon;  it is an interesting colorway and I will dig in today for a new pair of socks.  The baby hats will continue to grow--I did turn in the first dozen and will now start another.

 

BAKER'S DOZEN

I will be turning in the baby hats today.  It has been a nice way to use up scraps and keep me from going crazy!

This was moonrise last night just as I was getting into bed.

 

UPDATE

I'm here;  just not much happening.  

The bike is working out well and is becoming very enjoyable!  

I knit and nap still but I have banished myself from my bed until after dinner and a final bike spin.  

I had an encouraging doctor visit with my neurologist, who has ordered more blood work which I am doing this morning, 

bright and early.  He also added some new meds to squash the headaches and increased one I am already on to improve the brain power.  He also said that he doesn't look for recovery from septic shock until around the 12 week mark and I am only at 9 weeks. 

 A doctor who listens and knows how to help 

is worth his weight in gold!

GO, LEGS, GO!

I need to be able to grow stronger but it isn't going well with walking at all--so a friend loaned me her stationary bike so my legs don't have to bear my weight but can grow stronger first by this exercise!  I went a whole mile yesterday and I wasn't shaky at all.  Slow and steady on this just might work!!!!

 

THINK OF OTHERS

I made these holographic vinyls for my friend's drink cup.  Yes, it's her name and her super power!

She put it right on and see how the color changes in different light and angles?!  Pretty cool.
 

CHEERING ME UP

Youngest son and his family came for a visit Friday/Saturday!  It was wonderful to be able to sit and enjoy them!  

Cassandra, my dil, has learned how to crochet and is enjoying making many amigurumi critters.

Ella wanted to know what that new machine in my room was--needless to say, she caught right on to working with the Cricut.  She made a new decal for her phone,

and some dolphin wall art!  She is so much fun!  The guys were fishing so I didn't get any pics of them!

But Caleb did send us a pic of this guy, a wolf spider, that is quite large and though not venomous, they sure do startle you because did I mention they are large?!  (2=3" including their legs)
 

A WALK OUTSIDE

Getting ready for December already!

This bush is as tall as I am so I am looking this flower right at eye level!

Nyki photo bombed my mandavilla!

The flowers are sighing with relief that they survived a very brutal Summer!

I threw these seeds around this tree back in the Spring--they are finally in bloom!

Isn't this amazing?!  It's doubled in size in just a week.

About a dozen night blooming cereus are ready to bloom!  Maybe I can actually see one this time!

The first Camellia is out
 

SOME MORE BABY HATS

I added to the baby hat pile and even changed up the pattern with the finer yarn.  The one on the far left is really a pink;  I worked on it in the sunshine for my dedicated 1-hour-outside-time yesterday. 

I have to go for blood work today so will bring some more yarn, 

the red in the foreground, to work on while I wait 

which I hope won't be too long!

BABY HATS BY HANDD

Taking advantage of scrap yarn and idle hands, 

I am knitting up some newborn hats for the local women's pregnancy center. I am knitting these by hand not on the knitting machine so I can do it laying down.  Knitting is a very calming outlet.

 

JUST STITCHING FROM MEMORY!

I asked Bill to pick me up some dishcloth cotton and he bought me 6 skeins to keep me busy!  I keep thinking I should make some different ones but then I remember that learning something new right now is a bit of a slog so I make what my hands remember and can disengage the brain! lol  I make 2 dishcloths from a skein so they make a lovely thank you gift for those who brought meals!

Thank you for your kind words from yesterday's post;  and for sticking with me even though my posts have been sporadic of late!  

 

CONTEMPLATION

 Facing death does something to you physically, mentally and spiritually, to say the least.  For most of the time, eternity is way out there and so we can push it out of our mind.  

Twice now I have been 'gone' and brought 'back' and I think about the fact I don't want to leave my family, yet I do know where I will spend eternity so I am sad about still being alive but happy, too.  See what I mean, it is hard.  And being alive means a lot of pain and pushing yourself to look ahead to see a reason for all of this.  

This is where my faith comes in;  the anchor for me, 

the person of Jesus Christ in the Scriptures. Who provides the prolonging for my days and I trust him for the reason I am still here and also provides my hope for the future

 even through these hard days.

  

 In my prone state, I came across a woman who clearly shares the Scriptures and adds a bit of artwork to her journal pages. 

 I was intrigued.  I could work on my writing , which has suffered greatly these last few months, and my watercolor, which has been all but forgotten, while immersing my soul in sound truth.  

 

 Since Sept 9, I have shared my physical challenges, my mental struggles and I wanted to voice my spiritual beliefs with you also.  Thanks for listening and cheering me on, it means a lot.

WARPING ANEW

 I ordered a new warping board-it is smaller and lighter -which is a benefit for storage and lifting!  I am going to make a table runner.  Only 300 more wraps to go!!!  I'm going to be trying some overshot weaving and hope to be weaving by next week.  

GAINING SOME GROUND

I cut the rest of the tumbling blocks for a table runner. 

  I'm hoping to start to  sew some together today!

I've been working on another kerchief with the same cotton yarn.  

I'm thinking I have enough for at least one more.

This one is a variation of the granny square triangle with a picot edge.  I took this to work on after my bone density test when I was waiting for Bill to come and pick me up. 

 

IN THE STUDIO

A friend came over yesterday with an alteration project 

and once I set her on the right course, I tried to do a bit of cutting out using the Accuquilt and some Autumn fabrics.

I was able to cut out some small tumbling blocks which will eventually form a table runner!

 

GOTCHA COVERED!

I watched a simple tutorial for this kerchief 

and whipped it up in a few hours. 

 I used #3 cotton yarn (more like threads) and a size 5mm crochet hook.  I will be making several more of them! 

 This is the graduated yarn from black to light grey

 (this yarn  tried to be a shawl but after ripping it out several times, I was definitely over it!) 

so it will be interesting to me to make the kerchiefs

 through the different colors!

 

A BIT WONKY JUST LIKE ME!

The blanket is completed--I was making 12 different blocks from the book, 60 Quick Knit Blanket Squares.  Even though the blocks were knit on the same needles and yarn, they did not have the same gauge because of the different textured knits so I got mad and put them in a box and tried not to remember them!  I did enjoy making them at the time, though.  But out of sheer boredom now, I dug them out and thought I would crochet them together no matter the variation in sizes and just make a blanket.  

And I did.  

It has been on my lap all day and I am glad it is doing what it was made for--warmth and color!  Someday soon, I will soak this blanket, spin it out and then lay it out to blocks and see if that helps but for now, it matches it's Maker just right!

(after a very discouraging week, I woke up feeling so much better yesterday.  I needed the boost!)

 

SHE KNITS

 This pair of socks made in KnitPicks' Stroll in the colorway, 

Frolic, but I think it looks more like a beach 

with the sand, water and seaweed! lol 

 2.5mm needles, 64 stitches, toe-up socks with a k3, p1 ribbed leg.

BLOCKS

   

After a couple of rough days, I finally was able to sit up again and so I dug in my closet and pulled out an old abandoned project.  It was abandoned because while I enjoyed making each square, they were not exactly equally sized squares when I was done!  I decided to crochet them together and ignore the differences.

It worked well for the most part.  I am working on adding quite a few rows of crochet around the outside that they are joined.

I will keep adding rows (hdc ttbl) until I run out of yarn!  

 

SMALL SOCKS

This sock for me was a much quicker knit than the man socks!  One done and the toe begun on the second one.

 

HEMMED IN

My 'accomplishment for the day' yesterday, I hemmed the towels.

Gave them all a good measure and tossed them into the washer.

And after washing and drying, they are perfect!  

(Well to me they are!)  

The towels shrunk 1" in width and 3 1/2" in length so they are 

now 15" wide and 27" long. 

 

BOTTLED UP

I did a craft yesterday morning!  I cleaned the bottle then stuffed it with 'leaves' and a cork topped fairy lights.

I had cut the white vinyl lettering, peeled back the waste

 and pulled out all of the leftover bits.

I then placed the transfer tape on top 

so I could position it on the bottle!

And the best part is putting it on the window ledge!

 

ANOTHER DAY

A little bit of outdoors time and an ice cream sandwich

 to reward me for the effort! lol

Last night when I was playing yarn chicken and lost....

I had to rip out the first sock so that the legs would be even! 

 It worked out without too much trouble!

And in no time I had a pair of socks to give to Bill!