I couldn't believe it when I saw I hadn't posted in almost a year. Most likely because it has been, long, stressful, terrifying, and more than a little eventful. Last summer, my husband was diagnosed with cancer, which announced itself with a seizure. He went from being relatively healthy, active, and working full time, to being a cancef victim in the hospital over the course of one day. It totally blind sided us. We had no idea anything was wrong. After the seizure, he was in and out of the hospital for several months, one admission being the result of a heart attack about two weeks after the cancer diagnosis, almost certainly brought on by stress.
In the meantime, my son was holding down the home front, while I stayed at the hospital with my husband. Four days after we found out about the cancer, on the day they started the preparation to start radiation treatments, my son called to tell me my dog passed away. He'd taken her to the vet the day before because she was feverish and wouldn't drink. I was completely devastated. I literally cried for two hours. I'd worked so hard to hold it together for my husband's sake, and this completely put me over the edge. I was so bad, they had a staff person following me around thinking I was having a breakdown. I probably was.
I think knitting totally saved my sanity. I dragged it to the hospital, to the oncologist office, pretty much everywhere. Even though I didn't ever seem to make much progress, it soothed and absorbed me enough to get me through.
Time just seems to get away from me now. I'm working part time, mostly from home, and my husband is popping in and out of work as he's able. We just seem to live in a whirl wind of doctor appointments, chemotherapy, and down days to regroup. One thing is for sure, no matter how crazy life gets, or how much time I spend sitting in doctors offices and hospital rooms, my knitting will be a constant. Right now, I'm working on my Event Horizon Shawl by Donna Druchunas. Definitely an absorbing knit.
Below is a small sampling of some of the things I've knit over the past few months.
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| The beginning of my Event Horizon Pi Shawl |
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| Easy Handspun Cowl: Cast on 75 stitches on size 10 circular needle. Join in the round. Knit 5 rows, purl 5 rows, until the cowl is the size you want. End cowl with 5 knit rows. The handspun was a heavy worsted weight. Easy enough to read while you knit. A definite winner, and you can finish it in a sitting! |
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| Baby bonnet. I've knit several of these now. Threaded with pretty ribbon, it makes a great gift. |
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| Socks I knit from one of the Jane Austen Knits magazines. |
