Down to the Wire

FINALLY, an FO that I hoped to show on Friday, but I was so busy and tired, that I just didn't get a chance to. Wow, this weekend just flew by, didn't it??

This is the Noro Felted Bucket Bag with Charms that I knit for a shop sample. It was very easy and fun to make, much like a Booga Bag in construction...with a few changes here and there. Try it...it would make a great holiday gift and you could finish it in plenty of time for the holidays. Really ; )

DETAILS:

Pattern: KFI Noro Felted Bucket Bag with Charms
Needles: Addi Turbo 24" circular, size US 13
Yarn: 4 balls of Noro Kureyon color 213A and 1 skein of Gedifra Techno Hair in teal.

This is how the bag looked BEFORE felting:



Note: I also used some glass charms for the front tassle and, as I ALWAYS seem to run out of this yarn, I used 1/4 of another skein of Kureyon as well.

Now that this is done, I've been able to get back to my holiday knitting for lovely people in my life:

-A black, cashmere scarf for my dad using Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere from the shop and a pattern I created...a very simple one which I'm calling "The 52 Scarf" and will share in the next post. Oooh, is it luscious!!! I don't think I have the proper motivation to finish it because it's so wonderful to knit with and I'm savoring every moment....mmmm.(picture soon)

-A secret knitting item for my Secret Snowflake Pal (also for the shop, so I can't show it here until it's finished....boy, oh, it's coming out beautiful!)

-A Palindrome scarf that may be for my mom, if I can get it done in time...if not, I will make it for her for her birthday in February. We'll see how fast I can finish everything else! I'm using Patons SWS in a black, silver, gray colorway. It's SUCH a nice yarn! I was inspired by my knitting buddy, Donna H...when I saw hers, I knew I had to make one, too.

I've finally come to terms with my sad feelings of leaving my non-holiday knitting projects in the closet...for now. I was almost done with Tim's sweater and with a couple of other things, my new sock pattern among them. But, once January comes, I can finish those most important UFOs and....get ready to start new things.

When January 1st comes around, I am planning on blogging, not my resolutions for the year to come, but my Knitting and Spinning Wishlist 2008. Anyone up for doing the same along with me?

Hmmm...what else is new around here? Well, my little Ben has been sick. Off and on vomiting (oceans of puke..."OOP") during the night with no apparent reason...and feeling completely better in the morning....only to vomit again at night. I seriously have to invest in another set of king size sheets. I feel like I am continually switching and washing the 2 sets we have every other night....at 3 am. I am SO tired. Cyndi, my boss, was nice enough to let me leave early on Saturday so I could go home to the little guy. I hate being away from him when he's crying for me and not feeling well. You know?

Other than knitting my ass off for Christmas, I'm trying to catch up on my shopping. I've gotten maybe half of the things I need to and already feel like our checking account is dangerously low. I feel like I spend more every year, though for the same people. I try to spend less, but there is always something "else" in the air and, I don't know how, but it squirms it's way onto the list of things I need to buy. One year, I will be firm and only spend $25 on people (other than my spoiled kiddies) for their gifts and hope that it will work out. I mean, how can I bump people off the gift list? So, it must be....decrease spending. Right? Right? (please comfort me)



Our Christmas tree looks very nice all decorated and shining. Ben and I like to turn off all the lights and lay down under the tree...listening to holiday music and sighing with happiness. He lays on my shoulder and says, "Oh, this is nice, Mommy." With Tim, our special time is drinking rich, hot chocolate and watching Christmas specials together near the wood stove. We're warm, have yummy drinks and I even get to knit while spending time with my teen. Times like these are what I remember when I am faced with friggin knitting and unruly yarns. Mmmmm....calming and blissful.

I think that's all that's been going on in my "everyday" life. Working, shopping, cleaning (of course) and knitting. Not much spinning right now. I'm saving that for February. I'm determined to get my llama spun before I go to SPA. Will I finish? I guess we'll just have to wait and see, huh?

I'll leave you with a great pic of Ben and my hubby that I took before they went geocashing. Ian is holding a hand crafted walking stick made of pine (or is it birch?) that Donna H's husband made. Isn't it gorgeous? He uses it every time he hikes or goes geocashing. I was stunned when, the other day, Donna H brought me yet another stick for me to take home. This time it was for Ben! He was thrilled and has been carrying it around the house with him. He can't wait to take it with him the next time he goes geocashing with his dad. What lucky guys!



Off to do more Christmas knitting!! Good luck with yours! (how far are you with shopping and knitting gifts?? do tell!)

I'm Allergic to my Christmas Tree

So, is it normal to go to the doctor's office this often? I had to go to see my doctor AGAIN....three times in one year is just unheard of for me. Am I falling apart at 34? Please don't say it's true!!

I've been having a really difficult time breathing since Sunday. Some days better than others, but mostly feeling like I had Ben sitting on my chest and not being able to inhale fully. After a few days of this, I became light-headed and a bit anxious...without any real reason. It's not because I'm out of shape (which, of course, I AM...even though I'm at the gym now 3 times a week...yea!)...since I've been waking up this way...wheezing and out of breath and I've got this "tingly, fiery, itchy" feeling in my chest and arms.

My grandma has asthma and so does my cousin, so I was thinking...do I have asthma? And freaking out...

I finally had so much trouble sleeping last night (each breath was so hard to take...even with yogic breaths and imagery, which I DID try) that I made an appointment to go and see my doctor this morning.

The first thing that the nurse did was to give me a weird breathing test by having me take a HUGE breath in and then breathing out as hard and long as I could. I had to do it 4 times because the levels were pretty low. My blood pressure was a bit high and my oxygen level a bit low.

While I was waiting, I was able to knit a bit on my KFI Felted Noro Bucket Bag with Charms (a store sample and fun to knit)...here it is looking all sad and limp:



The doctor came in (she just had twins and, boy, does she have a fantastic figure already!) and, after asking me some questions and doing some routine checks, had me sit in a room with a nebulizer (sp?)...some Frankenstein looking contraption that had liquid drugs in it (woo-hoo...) to help me breathe. The nurse came in and jokingly said it was like "smoking a peace pipe". Not that I'd know what THAT feels like but, hey, I can imagine, right?

I had to breathe into this gadget for a long time and, at first, it was soothing and relaxing. Then, I started coughing like there was no tomorrow and my chest hurt and my nose and eyes were watering. But, at least I could breathe better.

Come to find out, I've been having a severe allergic reaction to something since Sunday and...it quite possibly could be the Christmas Tree.

No kidding.

The sap sometimes causes allergic reactions in people...and, after talking to my mom, learned that she can't even touch the tree because she'll get hives and a rash and all that. And...Ian got our tree on Sunday. And I've been decorating it, pulling off stray branches and all that since then.

Is this the weirdest thing or WHAT???

So, now, I'm on four different medications: some smaller inhaler, 2 allergy meds, Zantac 75 and I have a prescription for Prednesone (my grandmother takes this for her asthma, but it's NOT a good drug to be taking if you don't need to), but I'm keeping that for an emergency.

If it's not an allergy to the tree, it's something I've touched or eaten and it's impossible to easily find out what it is. I have another appointment on Friday to make sure I'm breathing okay. Keep your fingers crossed for me, okay? There is NOTHING worse than feeling like you're drowning in muck with no air and it takes all your effort to suck in some oxygen. Ugh!

Hope you're all feeling well and have a great weekend! (I'll have more knitting updates and such next post!)