2012 – What A Difference A Year Makes

I’m officially making 2012 the beginning of the rest of my life. I’m going to be eliminating a lot of negative things currently pestering me, starting with myself. From now on, I’m going to focus only on what I can do rather than all the stumbling blocks in my way.

From there, other people look out because many of you will be dropped if you don’t get along with the program of positivity. Thankfully, my core group of friends are safe from eviction but there are others hanging, dare I say it, lurking about who will find themselves receiving the cold shoulder over the next few months while I realign my life.

I love a lot of people a great deal but love isn’t enough when it comes to toxic behavior. Auf Wiedersehen.

Ow

I sprained my wrist. WTF is going on with my week? First, stomach pain and now this.

So Sleepy

I don’t know what’s been going on with me lately but I’ve been sleeping like the dead these past few days.

I haven’t been staying up all night and I haven’t been doing any heavy fiber arts. For some reason, I’ve just been really really sleepy. I may make it a point to stay up tonight to see if I can knock my sleep cycle back into something of a recognizable pattern. I’m hopeful.

Row 36 – I’ve Reached The Lace!

I’ve finally reached the lace section of my new shawl. I’m so excited!

Now comes the hard part, the lace repeats.

Aside from that, I’m a little further along in my new DVD viewing. I spent last night looking at Doctor Who up to and including Let’s Kill Hitler. All were awesome, as usual.

No spoilers please, I beg of you.

Today’s plan is to finish Doctor Who, work on my shawl, relax and recuperate from these stomach pains I’ve been having.

One weird thing that happened to me this past week. A Baha’i guy asked me to marry him. Don’t know how serious he was but he asked my mother’s permission before he asked me. Wild. *shakes head*

It’s the first time anyone’s asked me that question without an obvious ulterior motive. Again, weird I say.

Well, I’m going to go eat and take my meds now. Ta!

I Missed My Appointment

Ugh, I did everything right for a change and I still missed my psych appointment.

I documented in my calendar when the appointment was to take place. I confirmed it over the phone two days prior. I even got up early enough to go.

Of course, I had to go and forget the time I was supposed to be there.

I am such a prat! *frustrated sigh*

What’s worse is that there’s a $50 no show fee for missing appointments. That’s money that could have gone towards a bill, food or Amazon.

Oh well…

Row 33 and Rising

I’m currently on row 33 of the Guadalupe shawl/wrap. I’m so sleepy right now though that I can’t work.

So, rather than mess up my shawl, I choose to write incoherent blog posts via my phone.

No life, I swear.

I will work on the shawl for sure this afternoon, once I’ve returned Library items and stuff.

*rolls eyes*

I’m going back to sleep.

Currently Crocheting…

I’m making another shawl. This one is based on the Guadalupe Wrap on the Naturally Caron website. Only mine is in blues. Made with Lion Brand Pound of Love yarn in the colors pale blue, denim blue, and turquoise.

In the space of a few days, I’ve managed to get most of it done. I’m working my way up to the lace portion right now.

All in all, it’s been a fun pattern to construct.

Trying Out A Couple New Patterns

An anonymous acquaintance of mine is expecting. I can’t go into the details of who but, just to clarify, it’s not me!!!

Anyway, I promised I’d make some things for this persons child to be born. So, on the search went for patterns, patterns and still more patterns. I looked all over my usual resource but was SOL as the patterns didn’t work up as they were written out. So, on I searched.

Until, I came across two sites. One, Pickin’ and Throwin’, had the perfect knitted booties and the other, The “Make Your Own” Zone had the perfect hats. The blanket, I could figure out for myself by skimming patterns and figuring out how much I needed to chain.

Well, that’s where I currently am. I’m making a hat according to the pattern on MYOZ but it’s looking like a preemie hat. I’m going to make one slightly bigger (about 60 CO stitches) in addition to this one I have on the needles now. It’s too cute to frog. I’m also making a baby blanket that I’ve frogged once so far. The hat is in Turquoise blue, the booties will probably be in the same color. The blanket is in denim blue.

The Socks!

These are the socks:

Sock set one – Pretty in Pink. Made with Red Heart Super Saver in the color Pretty’n'pink, these are the first full sized socks I knitted. I made these specifically for the Maternal Parental but I did wear them myself to test drive their comfort level.

Sock set two – Gold. Made with Red Heart Super Saver in the color Gold, these are the second set of socks I made. I made these specifically for myself and I happen to be wearing them right now. They’re equally as comfortable as the pink ones, and in a better color.

Sock set three – Cherry Cola. Made with Red Heart Super Saver in the color Cherry Cola. Those of you who’ve followed this blog for a while may recognize the yarn. It was previously the Tunisian Crochet Scarf. I got sick of having so many works in progress though and decided to re-ball it and turn it into something that would get considerably more use. I can attest to the warmth of these socks, having worn them on more than one chilly day.

More of My Work

It’s never too late for AIDs awareness, a friend just told me when I posted about how I’d finished this two days later than I’d liked. I crocheted this ribbon today while trying to learn how to do a foundation single crochet stitch.

A Flanders Poppy. I crocheted this based on the Crochet Remembrance Poppy pattern on The Sunroom. I found the pattern via Ravelry.

The first shawl I made. I got the pattern off of Lion Brand. It’s called the Half Moon Shawl. This picture was taken before the edging was added.

A Sample of What I’ve Been Up To…

Just two pictures.

One of the shawls I made. I got the pattern off of the Caron site. A few mistakes but owing to the pattern.

My granny square afghan. I got the pattern off of Lion Brand but went crazy with the colors and number of squares. Currently still in pieces while I weave in the ends. I really must remember to crochet the ends in as I go next time.

Long Time, No See…

Wow, it’s been quite a while since I’ve posted here.

Mainly, I’ve been taking advantage of my agoraphobic tendencies by crafting. I’ve finally managed to make socks and I’m loving it. I’ve also crocheted the squares for a Granny Square afghan. All I need to do for that is weave in the ends and stitch the whole thing together.

I’ve been making shawls too. I’ve got two so far, including a Pineapple shawl, with plans laid for more.

I still haven’t finished those damned scarves. The pink cable scarf is still on the needles as is the cheap sock yarn scarf. I would make a promise to do it by the New Year but…eh. I don’t feel like it.

I even crocheted a Remembrance Poppy. Yes, I finally have one of my own. I wore it on Remembrance Day and I have plans to wear it for many years to come. My next flower plans are a Labour Rose in honor of Norway and some other flowers for general practice. My next small project are Awareness Ribbons for AIDS and Breast Cancer. I have just enough pink and red yarn for that.

Right now, I have socks galore planned for my friends. I’ve finally made something they all want. My friend, Aurnia Star, is the first of many to get a set of my creations.

Oh yeah, speaking of friends. I finally mailed off the scarf and hat set to my friend in Finland. *sigh of relief*

What else?

The agoraphobia is no better, so I’m still spending a lot of time indoors. I’ve had to give up two volunteer positions owing to my inability to make it to the assignments. I was initially sad about it but it’s opened up a whole new avenue of volunteering for me. I can practice my crafting and volunteer at the same time via the Jewish Volunteer Connection’s Community Mitzvah Day Knitting and Crocheting Drive. I can work on pattern after pattern while helping out those in need and all without leaving my home.

Other than all that, I’ve finally decided to take the plunge and buy all seven series of Knitting Daily. It’s going to set me back some but I feel it’s worth it since it’s dozens of episodes featuring crafting tips and tricks. All of which will help me acquire more skill in Knitting, Crocheting and who knows what else.

There’s probably lots more I could type here but I don’t want to turn this into a saga. Later, but not too late!

That Day, Ten Years Ago

It’s my hope that we as a people move forward without bitterness or hatred in our hearts.

—–

I was on my way to English class and, for a change, didn’t bother to check the news on that morning. When I got to the school library to print some work for a class out, I saw the first tower engulfed in flames on television. Not being sure what it was, I hit the BBC News site to see what was going on and got the Low Res version.

When I’d come back over with a printout of the news story, the second tower had been hit with unconfirmed reports about other planes not responding. I managed to get to class and not long after, school was canceled for the day. People were in a panic to get home and to call home but the phone lines were down.

My mother hadn’t even bothered to turn the news on and was just about to go out for cigarettes. By some shocking coincidence, the one payphone on campus that had previously been broken suddenly started working again. The cell networks were overloaded and EVERYONE was using the telephone by the library in a line that looked to be over one hundred people long and growing. I just managed to call her on that “broken” phone and kept her from going out. I also eventually got a cell phone as a result of that day.

I wound up walking over to the next major road with Alexander & Company due to all the buses being filled with frightened people.

I made it home eventually and watched the news for almost two straight days while trying to get in to donate blood. There was an unbelievable crowd at the American Red Cross and they had to open other rooms just to accommodate all the people who’d come in. Between school and news reports, I kept trying to get in and finally donated on 13 September 2001. It probably seems nonsensical but, at the time, everyone there just wanted to help in any way they could.

Day Eleven – Addon Compatibility Reporter

I am very attached to my favorite addons. No, seriously, I use them to function practically day to day. So when Firefox 5 upgraded on my computer, I was hoping that all my addons would make the cut and still work on the other side of the jump. No such luck. That is, until I came across a post on the Facebook Toolbar App page for a Mozilla addon called the Add-on Compatibility Reporter.

WIth no work at all, my addons now work like a charm.

Day Ten – My Cooking Skills

I’ve been cooking since I was seven years old. For as far back as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to experiment with food due to my life long addiction to cooking shows and tonight was no different. For the first time in a very long time, I made bread. I made a single loaf of bread and let The Maternal Parental have at the other half of the dough mixture to make some very delicious rolls.

So, I’m thankful for my cooking skills. The skills I acquired enabled me to spend quality time with my mother and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

Day Nine – My Past Associations

I really don’t know where I’d be, or even who I’d be, without my friends. Even when we lose contact, the memory of the friendship with all its social twists and turns serves as a roadmap for my present and future relationships.

Day Eight – PBS

PBS has been a constant support for as long as I’ve been alive. My earliest memories are of watching Doctor Who and other programming on the local PBS, MPT, and learning things ahead of my age level via the educational programs shown.

As I got older, and wound my way through the school system, PBS was there at every step with grade appropriate shows that enabled me to keep up with, or even surpass, my grade level in things like reading, science and mathematics. Shows like Reading Rainbow, Write Right, Square One and others helped me in my comprehension of the topics we studied and, in the case of mathematics, enabled me to scrape by with a passing grade when I otherwise would have failed.

The learning hasn’t stopped over the years either. At my current age, I still consider PBS, via MPT and WETA, to be an invaluable resource, with up to date information on local, national, and international affairs, the latest in science and technology, as well as a plethora of programming on home improvement, crafts (knitting, crocheting, etc), and cooking.

I love PBS.

Day Seven – My Dreams

When I can manage to sleep and when they’re not nightmares that frighten me out of my skin, my dreams can be quite entertaining. I would even go so far as to say liberating, in that I can do many things in my dreams that, heh, I wouldn’t dream of doing in real life.

The best part about my good dreams is when I manage to get a story out of them. Like this morning. It’s the first story idea I’ve managed to come up with in weeks and all because of a dream.

Day Six – Medications

Without my medications, I’m not sure where I’d be. Before I started taking them, I was prone to destabilizing days where I wasn’t able to maintain focus or breath for more than a few minutes before everything went kablooey in my face.

While there have been several ups and downs since taking the meds, the stable conditions they offer are worth the sometimes negative side effects from meds that didn’t work out. Thankfully, my current regimen doesn’t cause me problems as some in the past have. In the case of Asthma meds, I now have a once a day stable medication that enables me to breathe.

Yay meds!

Day Five – OKCupid

OKCupid allows me to meet the most interesting people and all without having to leave my home. With it, I can talk with people from around the world or in my own proverbial backyard and find good friends with truly interesting perspectives on life.

If I’m feeling bored, I can take part in any number of quizzes the site has to offer or join in the forums on a wide variety of topics. There are also games and a plethora of articles showing the scientific merit of the site.

It really is a fantastic place to hang out online.

Day Four – Sleep

Not getting sleep has to be one of the most frustrating things about being an insomniac. Forget about the restlessness, its the not having downtime that really bites.

When my doctor gave me a script for Lunesta, I managed to get a lot of sleep but, even so, I considered it a cheat. It wasn’t being done by my own natural processes. So I started trying to sleep without it and finally managed it. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t need to get the script for Lunesta when I went to the pharmacy and boy, did that feel wonderful.

I still have nightmares and I still get to sleep far later than I’d like to but I am, at least, sleeping on my own without medicated aids.