Archive for June, 2007
MEATBALL SUB
Saturday, June 30th, 2007
I took some photos today of some weird crochet-like projects I’ve been doing. I’ve found that crochet (at least the kind I’m doing) is something I can do while I’m lying down trying not to throw up…unlike reading which induces a sort of carsick feeling.
I’m sort of mentally blocked and I keep thinking that I just need to play with yarn for a while and the gears in my mind will unstick. So a few baby projects have found their way into Hugo’s closet. The top one is all alpaca (various brands) and the bottom one is various Merino wools. I think I want to add more to the bottom one, it’s pretty small.
When Tonya was here after her graduation, she taught me how to crochet. My sister’s a really good teacher. She’s like me in that she’ll look and say, “oh yeah, that’s fine” if I feel weird about something. She’ll just say, “do it however you want, it looks great!” And I like to do things however I want, so it’s perfect for me to learn from her.
Since she had to eventually go back home, I’ve been using:
Teach Yourself Visually Crocheting
(Buffy DVD for scale.) I learned to turn corners! Next I want to try something with a stitch pattern. I’m thinking maybe I’ll granny-along, or do shells. Something not TOO hard or brain-using. AND…YES that rug that the blankies are lying on IS crochet, but I BOUGHT it. BEFORE I thought crochet was something I’d ever be able to do.
Sometimes when I want to start doing something new, I’ll buy one of whatever it is and see how it’s done up close…then try it. I have a hard time learning from books.
Oh my Gosh! I am so hungry for a meatball sub right now. (in re: nothing.) When I do feel like eating, I *MUST* have whatever it is that tripped the hunger pang.
I’ve been checking websites of various restaurants in town to see who has one…and unfortunately it looks like Quiznos or Subway for me. (we’ve talked before about how Las Cruces businesses are not really web-focused…and I don’t wanna drive around all day looking for a sandwich!)
I just woke up from a nap in which I was starving and really angry at everyone. And nobody else was hungry! Nobody would go with me to get a pizza! What the heck is wrong with you guys that nobody wants to go EAT!?
So I woke up and asked Nate to go with me for meatball subs in real life, and he said yes. (WHEW!) So he’s in the shower and I have a few minutes.
LATER: We’re back and have also gone to the bookstore, the grocery, AND watered the plants. Look at this!
Posted in just chit chat, baby, crochet | 6 Comments »
Teeny slippers!
Wednesday, June 27th, 2007
Tonight was knitting night.
I finished a pair of baby booties from Zoe Mellor’s 50 baby bootees to knit.
They’re the “slip ons” pattern from page 117. This book has some really cute, really over the top things. These are the most simple ones, and for some reason they’re the ones that appealed most to me this evening.
Because I know myself well enough to know that if I wait till tomorrow to take a daylight photo I’ll never do it. So I took non-flash-under-the-incandescent-bulb photos.
The yarn is Reynolds Whiskey. Color 101, which is a heathered orange-yellow. I LOVE this color. It’s happy, bright, and goes with red hair! So when I hold the baby, its feet will look good on me. (I know, cray-zeee.) Whiskey is a great all-purpose wool, and will be really warm for teeny baby feet. My due date’s January 20…so I need lots of woolens.
Posted in yarn reviews, just chit chat, baby | 11 Comments »
Physical Therapy: Update
Tuesday, June 26th, 2007
Ok, so I went to physical therapy today…and it was all diagnosis. No exercising, no massage!
Good thing I took it so easy last week that this week I feel good. Except that when she poked my back, I didn’t have the same level of pain to describe.
I go back on Friday to get to work for real.
It looks like I have a mild scoliosis! Isn’t that a weird thing to figure out when you’re 35?! She said my spine is definitely curved, and that my hips are rotated. From the front, the left one is higher and from the back it’s the right one..so it’s more that there’s some sort of rotation of the entire pelvis. AND one femur is longer than the other! So it might be that my back has curved to compensate for that, rather than it originating in the back.
I remember my parents noticed this thing with my hips in elementary school, but our GP didn’t think it was anything, so we all forgot about it.
I’ve never had any real issues with back pain until now, so it’s not anything to really worry about…just another weird medical thing that I’ve found out about myself in the last 1.5 years that I’m sharing with you.
She also said, “Did your mom get after you to stand up straight when you were a kid?” Apparently, there’s not ENOUGH curvature in my back now. The curve in my neck has straightened and the curve at my shoulder blades is too straight.
I know that on a daily basis this stuff never comes into my consciousness…it’s just weird to have this sort of assessment. Like a show dog.
So all this in combination with the hormones is causing this sciatica. I’ve got a wedge (5mm) to put under my butt on one side. I changed desk chairs from the cushy executive-looking one to a harder “person VISITING the executive” one.
We’ll see.
But yeah, I’m feeling better than last week!!
Posted in just chit chat | 8 Comments »
rss feed?
Monday, June 25th, 2007
Where do I figure out what my rss feed is??
I’m sitting on Ravelry, and everyone has their blogs all linked up, but I don’t know how to do mine!
ETA: Thanks, guys! (AND *DUH*!!) It should be synched up now.
Posted in just chit chat | 14 Comments »
Annie’s blog
Monday, June 25th, 2007
Most you have probably already read this on her blog, but our friend Annie Modesitt and her family are going through a battle with cancer.
Annie has offered a very beautiful pattern for download on her site. Each download of the pattern will make a small donation to her husband’s health fund.
Annie is a very vivacious, upbeat, good-natured woman who has always had the time to chat with upstarts like me.
If you can spare a moment, please visit Annie’s site.
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Fall ‘07 Knitscene
Sunday, June 24th, 2007
The preview is up…and I got my designer copy and tear sheets in the mail on Friday. It’s a really fun issue, in my opinion…lots of interesting shapes. Katie and Lisa are really good at choosing garments that are contemporary and are actually things that people could/would wear. I’ve met both of them in person and, yeah, they’re stylin’.
It’s an especially fun issue for me (and Kate and Jennifer):
I also have a pattern in there, and in the knitting on the street section…there’s Carrieoke wearing her Forecast!
personal life update:
I’ve been really taking it easy the past few days. Well, since about Wednesday, actually. Trying not to exacerbate the sciatica stuff. Using the pillows, doing the stretches, etc. (Thanks for all your suggestions in the comments!) I’m feeling really edgy today, though, because I know I have so much to do and it’s Monday tomorrow. I took my NP seriously when she told me to take it easy, and the back feels better, but I feel totally anxious.
I’m going koo-koo trying to find some balance between complete zone-out rest and crazy-busy.
I think I just crashed.
Posted in just chit chat | 2 Comments »
Physical Therapy
Thursday, June 21st, 2007
Arg. OK, so I mentioned that I’m having this back pain. It was so bad on Tuesday that I could hardly walk. It was making me feel ill, it hurt so bad. I kept thinking it was a pulled muscle or pinched nerve and would go away, but it just kept getting worse. So I called the NP (Nurse Practitioner) who told me to come in “NOW.” She was worried that it was some kind of cramping or a kidney problem. We did several tests, and there’s no organ problem…it turns out that it’s SCIATICA.
.
(butt image courtesy wikipedia.com)
My friend Jayme worked in a hair salon when we all lived on Lawn-Guy-Land and she has the funniest impression of the clients, “Ooh, my sy-aht-ik-kuh.” You have to say it in a voice like Geroge Castanza’s mom and bend over at the waist with your hand on your left hip and make a face. So all I can hear is this Long Island accented older lady when I think or say the word. And I do stand bent over with my hand on my hip. It’s insane.
And it really hurts! I read in my pregnancy book about sciatica, but it typically (I’m learning there is no “typically” with pregnancies) happens later when the baby’s weight compresses the nerve, but here I am…month 3…big old back pain!
So Tuesday morning I meet Nicole at the “Southwest Sport & Spine Center” to start physical therapy. Jeez.
In the meantime, I’ve got a wedge-shaped butt pillow and one of those “body pillow” things to sleep with. Nate says I can throw out the pillow and just spoon him. But the pillow don’t snore! And he DO.
I also decided to go to yoga. The city offers before and after work exercise classes, including yoga and pilates…so I’m going to sign up. $1.50 / class! They told me that the instructor can tailor any of the moves so that I can do everything safely. The site doesn’t really give a great indication of all the classes or the schedule, so I have to go there to get more info. I don’t understand businesses not having functional websites. I searched “prenatal yoga, las cruces” and some references to classes showed up…but none of the organizations have websites! Tsk Tsk. I don’t have time to drive all around picking up literature. (Cranky back pain talking.)
I mean, even if I’m getting a haircut, I want to go online and check out all the services before I go in so I can have a price in mind.
Ok, I need to do something non-gripey.
Posted in just chit chat | 14 Comments »
aaaah…the weekend!
Monday, June 18th, 2007
Sunday.
This is the first weekend that I’ve been home in several weekends. Home with no class to teach and no out-of-towners to entertain. (Though I’ve LOVED entertaining all the o-o-t-ers!) My house has been a disaster. My “craft room” had become the dumping ground for everything yarn. Knee-high piles of sweaters, yarn, books, business paperwork…it was really giving me nightmares. Every time I walked by, I shut the door. To look was to cringe/feel guilty/wonder what exactly the cats were DOING in there.
SO Friday night I cleaned it! I had come home from work and gotten right into my PJs, as is my wont of late. I’ve been coming home at 6, lying on the bed and reading till I just pass out. As late as 8 if I’m lucky. The thing is, it was 100 degrees outside, and the craft room was the only room with an A/C unit! SO…in order to sit in here and enjoy it…I cleaned.
I can see FLOOR! I have shelf space! I can see what I’m doing for the next book! I can get to the closet! I DID move the A/C to the bedroom…and sleeping last night was SO NICE. We’ve been having 100+ degree temps the last week, and are supposed to be in the 100s next week, too. Summer in the Southwest!
Yesterday was also a big cleanup day. I did laundry and hung it to dry, but the major-major-MAJOR thing I did was to go through my closets. I put away all the summer stuff that I know I won’t be able to wear this summer, as well as all the winter stuff that’ll be too small…keeping out cardigan sweaters and elastic-waist pants. (I’ll be SO stylin’!) I filled up 4 22-gallon Rubbermaid tubs for the garage, making room for Hugo’s clothes and accoutrements.
So…I’m working my way from the back of the house to the front. Craft room, bedroom, linen closet…next are big bathroom (I don’t go in Nate’s bathroom!) living room, and kitchen. Maybe next weekend. We’re meeting my parents at 2 for a Fathers’ Day lupper. Nate’s outside mowing the “lawn” and I’m getting ready to do some work for work, re-pot a couple houseplants, and see how much I can get done by 2. I really feel like I need about a week off…then I could be all caught up with everything. That’s not happening…so I’ll take a few more weekends at home. There’s something so NICE about not having any set plans.
Monday.
Nate mowed the lawn and put some plants in the ground. We’ve got hibiscus, sage, and lavender in the front bed now along with 3 little rose bushes. I did get 3 houseplants repotted…then fell asleep from about 3 till about 7. I just totally konked out. Then was able to go right back to sleep at bedtime. And now…it’s Monday again already.
Posted in just chit chat | 6 Comments »
FIRST ULTRASOUND!
Thursday, June 14th, 2007
There he IS! You can see his head and both arm buds and both leg buds! (AND My uterus was fibroid-free, so that’s awesome.)
Ok, how many people cried at their first ultrasound? I was WEEPING!!
I didn’t expect an ultrasound today, so I went in by myself. I was supposed to just fill out the paperwork and do the family histories…choose circumcision or not, etc. But at the end, I requested one. I was so freaked out by the spotting at week 7 that I just NEEDED to see that BABY. So they squeezed me in.
This time last year, I was such a mess. So hopeless. The last time I had an ultrasound, they were marveling at the size of my huge tumors. This was such a different experience. It was a major relief. And now I feel tired. Like I could sleep for DAYS. Like a layer of anxiety was removed. I just was NOT prepared for what that feels like. To SEE the BABY.
I may have mentioned that several people have cautioned me against calling the baby “he” because it still might be a girl…and I know that’s true…but it’s hard to call it “it.” Humor me. 
Posted in baby | 32 Comments »
Ravelry
Thursday, June 14th, 2007
Are you on Ravelry?
It’s a little tricky to figure out who’s who…but my username is Stefanie, and if you ‘friend’ me, I’ll ‘friend’ you back.
I’m just getting set up there and figuring things out. So far, it really is a great organizational tool!
I haven’t had a chance to spend much time in the forums…but looking forward to having more time later in the summer!