It's been a very long time and so much has happened since my last post.
My health has had many turns. It's been a daily struggle with eye pain and losing my sight in one eye.
Long story short. It would take an entire hour if you only knew, but I brushed myself off and decided to post a picture of my first prayer shawl I designed ( and maybe even have already) but on my dressform, along with another very simple garter shawl that I started back in Fall 2014 and found in a project bag and decided I needed to feel some accomplishment and therefore today it's cast off the needles. (Now that is a total run-on sentence but,,,,,,).
I have not blocked it. Just to take a look see. I have had this dress form from ebay for a couple of years now and it really was not expensive at all but has really, really, really come in handy for knitwear and such. If I can go back and find the seller on Ebay I will, because I think every knitter, especially if trying to design, should get one. I think the shipping was even free and it's not too heavy, but not light either.
Maybe I should name this one Blue Days. I think I spent many of them at Emory this year, I've lost 50% of my vision in the left eye now. Next, is laser in the next 3 weeks. They are trying to stop the progression but my cornea is not letting it. Again long story. But, I can knit.
I have another eye. Thank God.
I found a supportive glaucoma group that totally understands. I'm thankful for that.
And thankful I have a husband that understands and will be my eyes if they fail.
I cast on this shawl in Fall 2014 and it's what I call a process shawl. I literally knit for the enjoyment of the process not the project. I'm sure many know what I mean.
In the midst of many project bags tucked away I decided this weekend to finish and cast off this afternoon. Then, I rambled through my glass bobble and pins jar that I save things in and found a pin for it.
Cheered me up a bit to put it on the dressform today.
The next one is my first design prayer shawl. This is a project shawl. I had a specific reason and goal in mind for this one. One day I will write it up and explain why I chose and how I chose the pattern. It has a special meaning to me.
The reason the dressform is so useful for me is that you can actually get it in your own measurements.
This comes in great handiness when designing or knitting for sure.
Don't you like this choker necklace I put on it from the 90's? Yup, I still had this in my jewelry collection and now chokers are in again. :)
For not being blocked, it's not too bad.
And with this one, I used Malibrigo yarn
http://www.malabrigoyarn.com/
I don't think this colorway is even available anymore. I will need to search and find the ball band.
I used 3 skeins.
It knits like butter. I love it. This is the second shawl with this brand I used. I don't know if you remember the Old English Rose colorway that I knit a shawl with.
Gorgeous old rose colors.
I started to test knit another prayer shawl in the colorway Christmas at Downton and got halfway through it when the season ended. Couldn't do much knitting in March so it's in a project bag waiting for me.
On the other half, my sweet husband has started woodworking as a hobby, in between managing several schools in the district, and is just about finished with his MBA online.
He is presenting one of the plaques he made to the principal and has made each one for many schools in the region.
At Christmas, he wanted some woodmaking stash stuff (in our language), and so I was so happy he has a creative outlet as well. He really is talented. He totally restored the Hoosier cabinet in our house a couple of years ago.
I am very proud of all he has accomplished this year. We will soon be celebrating his dual major/ Masters in Business Administration with a focus on Human Resources and Operations Management.
Well, I have to leave you with a bit of humor. I couldn't stop laughing at this one..........
I know that's sick, right? LOL
Long story short?
since January
- Downton Abbey was our every night must have to see. We ordered the complete series of years and went through all of them except this past season of which we will probably watch endless episodes with popcorn again.
- I've learned how to put objects in my eyes I never thought I would before. Yup, I can do this!
- my better half got me my first pair of REAL sunglasses......and I love them because sun is not my friend
- I've learned how to really appreciate seeing everything and especially colors.
- I've learned from great sources for vision impaired how to utilize things on the computer for adapting to going blind.
- I've eaten way too many lunches at Zaxby's. People at work think I'm addicted.(can't help it, their tea is the best)
- I've come to love hubbies mustang just for the tinted windows.
- Putting on eyeliner is a real 10 minute event now
- I've watched many declutter You Tube channels but wishing I had the energy to do it all at one time. It's getting there though.
- I just got my supplies for my first KAL---Queen of Thrones!
- My goal to drink 10 cups of water a day is a very real thing I HAVE to do, not want to do now.
- My hubbie has watched many a chick-flick with me in the past 3 months.
- Abbie freaks out on the weekend when we say
"the pizza man is here" and he is here quite frequently - there's no place for fluorescent lights......no place
- Sunday mornings are a given for chocolate-covered doughnuts at the homestead
- Cross stitching patterns haunt me to be stitched but my eyes went to yarn instead
- McDonalds now knows my breakfast order by heart and I just say hi at the drive through and it's one egg biscuit and a large half cut coffee with 5 splenda/ 5 creams
- February, in the middle of another corneal ulcer and 2 weeks out of work, my husband got me the prettiest Valentines Day chocolate box with red velvet EVER and I ate every one.....well, I shared a few with him
- chocolate was pretty much a theme since January and the answer to all problems
- my Ipad mini is now playing the Bread and Olivia Newton John Pandora stations quite regularly
Bless you and have a great Monday.................
Jennifer
