Knitting Machine

Well I'm not really a knitting machine but I have finished a few projects since Thanksgiving and that always makes me feel good! I finished the Euclid Cardigan for the Harrison set. The buttons are 3 different Peter Rabbit buttons that match perfectly. I am so happy with the way this set came out and this colorway is simply amazing -- no pooling at any point and the depth of color is amazing. I also finished up a super secret Secret Auntie project the close-up of the project is below no final shots yet for this one. One more Christmas gift has been crossed of my list as well, with another super duper close-up for now, when the gift has been given I will post the full shot and details on the pattern.

We are currently battling with insurance about V's meds, they feel that she is taking too many of one particular pill (a very expensive medicine even in generic form) so everytime we go to get the prescription filled they fight us about it and delay filling it to call the doctor, then only give us two weeks worth at a time so I have to repeat this whole insane dance every two weeks. It is all very frustrating. We also discovered the next year our out of pocket will be raised to $5,000, up from $3,000 this year and our prescrition coverage will be once again covering less of a percentage. In the last three years the small raise my husband gets yearly has not even covered our increasing heathcare costs. I am thankful to have insurance but for the amount we pay monthly on top of our out of pocket costs and our prescriptions costs healthcare takes up over 35% of our monthly budget!

Let the holiday madness begin!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thankgsgiving, I of course managed to finish up some knitting. I figured I was in for a long wait for an item my oldest daughter really wanted for Christmas, so I packed my knitting bag, the book I am reading now - The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (thanks mom) a bottle of water and went to grab my spot in line. I forgot the chair though, next year the chair would be an important thing to remember. While I was waiting I started and finished this set of fingerless gloves using Laines Magnifiques Strawberry Princess colorway. I've put them up for sale at Their Own Knitted World for now but if they don't sell in the next week I think I may give them to my maillady, she seems to appreciate fingerless gloves during the winter. While you are there be sure to check out the auction going on for the 0-3 month Christmas set.

The Harrison Euclid cardigan is getting buttons tonight and I hope to have final shots of the set tomorrow, stay tuned!

Healthy kids and the Holidays

A very busy week last week with two very sick kiddos and one worn out mama. Just in time though everyone has fully recovered for Thanksgiving. Not to worries, while sick kids kept me from posting a blog update they did not keep me from knitting!

I worked on this cute little sweater to go with the 0-3 month Harrison set pictured earlier. This pattern is actually one I am testing and I love it already, so easy to work with and fully customizable. This little sweater is actually finished now just waiting to be blocked tomorrow and then buttons sewn on when it is finished. As soon as the set is done I promise some final project pictures.

Christmas is just around the corner and this year I plan to give as many handmade items as I can. I knocked two items off my list last week as well. These pictures are close-ups so to hopefully keep the items mostly a surprise for the recipients. I'm not sure if any family reads the blog but in case they do I don't want to fully ruin the surprise. As soon as the gifts are given I will post the full pictures and details about yarn and patterns. I also finished my part of a super secret project no pictures of that though until the gift has been given.

We just got back from a trip to CHB tonight. I had to take V down for her neurpopsych test, the test went really well and turned up a few things I need to address with her IEP team. Her speech is still delayed (no real surprise there) but the doctor also uncovered a fine motor skills delay and we need to get an OT eval to start working on that ASAP. She did amazing during the testing and was such a good girl, I was so proud of her. We celebrated with some alphabet cookies from Trader Joe's and little stuffed pony from Lakeshore Learning Store next door (where we also got some fat pencils and a fat pencil sharpener to help with writing). The doctors upped her
 second med again and I think (knock on wood) that we are seeing fewer seizures a day and even more seizure free days -- however the seizures have changed a bit and she now vocalizes during them and tries to clutch at something in the air or behind her back with her right hand. We still have a few more weeks to go before we are fully dosage strength so we'll see what happens, but I am feeling more positive about this medicine this week. Next up is the surgical consult next month with the surgeon, we should have a lot more answers after that.

Same same, but different

My sister used to live in Singapore and many times when you asked a street vendor if they had another of an item they would go back into their shop area and come out with something the same color but a totally different size, or the same size but a totally different item and insist it was "same same, but different". I think that perfectly describes not only the hats I just knit but how our week has gone. Each day same, same but different. We haven't had a seizure free day yet this week and the seizures haven't been following any kind of pattern like they normally do. Some days they began at 3am other days they didn't start until noon, some days they happened every hour or so other days she got longer breaks. Not entirely sure what that means medicine wise, it is so hard to tell if that means the medicine is starting to work or if this medicine can be added to our ever growing list of ineffective anti-seizure medicines.



I finished the two hats for sisters. They are both knit with Mosiac Moon Morwenstow on Aran BFL and I love how they match but still look different. I did a little loop at the top to make them easy to take on and off and easy to hang up and keep with mittens. These will be shipping out on Monday!

I've also had more time to work on the Meadow Lilley, it still doesn't look like much but I should have the waist done this evening and after that you will see how it takes shape. I need to get working on this, it is my item to stock at Their Own Knitted world this Thursday!

The first hat is done and the second is mostly done and should be finished tomorrow.  No picture as it looks much like the first hat (same colorway).

Another long day for poor V, at least the seizures didn't start until 4am so she got more sleep, but she averaged about one an hour again today.  We are still waiting on a call for her Neuropsych test, I plan to give them another call tomorrow and see when we can get this scheduled.  We can't do anything else until that test is done.  My biggest worry now is leaving her alone, she has recently started trying to find me during her seizures and since she isn't totally aware of what she is doing and she doesn't have full control of her limbs she falls down a lot.  I have nightmares about her trying to go down the basement stairs to find me while having a seizure.

Round and round

Just a few work in progress shots for today. The first is the first in a set of hats from the same colorway for a friend. These are both the Ky Baby Ear Flap hat done with MM Morwenstow on Aran BFL. The hat pictured is actually finished now and I just began the ear flaps for the second hat.

I am also working on a Meadow Lily top by Lynne of Cabbages and Kings size 12 months knit with Olivia on Licorice Twist this will be for instock next Thursday at Their Own Knitted World. No pictures of that yet, I'm not that far into the pattern so it doesn't look like much more then some colors on a knitting needle right now.

November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month and in honor of that I've turned the blog Lavender for the month.  We had a rough day here today with Vivian, she started with seizures at 2 am and had one about every hour or so.  We have a new medicine they gave us to stop this cycle when it begins (this is called a cluster) and usually one dose stops them.  Today it took 3 before they finally stopped at 1ish today.  Long day and I am hoping this doesn't start a new trend when it comes to her seizures.