Working away!

A quick preview shot of the XL Ewe Need Color Dark Chopsticks no Pink longies. They are still a tad wet so I have not put the drawstring through yet -- hopefully tomorrow they will be ready to go and I can put the drawstring in and do the final photos of them.

I am working now on a 0-3 month set with Tree Frog Knits Harrison colorway on 3 ply purewool. This colorway is amazing and the pictures do it no real justice, there is a subtle depth of color my camera just does not capture. This is going to be a stunning set when it is finished. Halfway done with the second leg and planning on finishing these up tonight and moving on to the booties.

Not much going on at the family front. We are still waiting for calls to schedule V's neuropsych evaluation and our consult with the neurosurgeon, hopefully we will get a call this week!

Another one bites the dust!

I just weaved in the ends and wove the drawstring for the XL pair of longies I was working on this week. They came out stunning and I will load pictures as soon as they are done blocking.

We also discovered this week that Lamictil (one of the medications we are giving V to control seizures) has an interesting side effect. It makes her feel like she needs to use the bathroom constantly, we were worried it was a UTI but after taking her to the family doctor and having everything checked it seems it is definitely a side effect to the medicine. She has another increase in Lamictil coming this week so we will see how it goes. Lamictil has a great track record of seizure control (we have yet to see that but she isn't on a full dose yet) but does carry with it risks for a very serious allergic reaction, so when children are started on it they are titrated very slowly. She began it nearly a month ago and won't be on a full dose until next week, at which point we will see if the urge to use the bathroom constantly gets any better before we decide what to do next.

I win!

Here is my latest project. A pair of XL longies done for a charity auction winner. Progress has been a bit slow on the first leg because I was fighting some color stacking going on, but last night I finally figured out the magic combination the fixed that. I should be able to finish up these legs quickly now that I know how to keep them from pooling (knock on wood sometimes new magic must be found for the second leg).

On the family front I've spent a large portion of the day on the phone with various doctors, therapists and with the group the oversees my daughters IEP gathering everything I need for the neuropsych evaluation. When we first began this journey I always mentally scratched my head at the parents in the Neurologist waiting room with binder just filled to bursting with information. Now I get it. We started our notebook about 2 months ago and it is definitely full (but not bursting). It has a been a huge help, I can quickly look up information about speech therapy, assesments done and the results, medicines used for sedation and any reactions noted, procedures done and their dates and I keep monthly printouts from seizuretracker.com right in the front. For any families dealing with epilepsy I can't recomend seizuretracker.com enough I am able to organize medication information, keep a seizure log and keep track of apointments and procedure dates. Whenever we are going to an apointment I print off the log for the last month and show it to the doctor, from those reports we've been able to make changes in doses and when we give her those meds that have helped us gain a bit more control over the seizures. (Please note I am not affiliated with that site at all this is just a true and legitimate review of a great site)

An adorable top and some fantastic news!

I put the finishing touches and blocked a top I've been testing for Lynne of Cabbages of Kings. This is the Meadow Lily and is such a cute top for little girls, it looks adorable with a top underneath for winter and just as cute without the top.

We also had a call today from one her doctors and our daughter has been approved to go forward with the surgery. She will be having the ECoG surgery done, not sure on dates yet I imagine that will be at least 6 months from now, but I am excited (and nervous, scared and worried) that she gets this chance. I could mean that a few years from now Epilepsy is just a distant memory for our family. Next step we have to do a neuropsych test and meet with the surgeon to discuss the procedure, risks and projected outcomes.

A rainy day here, the perfect time to let the littles watch a few movies while I update the blog, get household chores done and knit.

Right now I am working on longies for an auction winner, finishing the sleeve on a Meadow Lily top I am testing for Lynne of Cabbages and Kings, and the yarn just came for my next custom a newborn set using Tree Frog Knits Harrison so as soon as the auction winner longies are done I will cast that on.

We've had a long week here seizure wise. Vivian is getting a cold and whenever she gets sick her seizure activity picks up. Yesterday was a long rough day for her and so far today it is heading down that same road. We are anxiously waiting for a call from her team in Boston about the outcome of the epilepsy conference -- hopefully next week we will hear.

Making it personal

In the past this blog has been strictly business (for the most part). I am going to start taking things in a slightly different direction from here on out and begin to blog a bit more about the journey my family is on, as well as my knitting. My family and friends know the roller coaster our life has been since September 2008 but I think it is time I share a bit of that with my customers. During this time my knitting has often been a form of therapy for me, it gives me time to be quiet with my thoughts and still feel productive.

My middle daughter was diagnosed with Epilepsy in late 2008 when she was about 18 months old. Specifically she has Temporal Lobe Epilepsy caused by Mesial temporal sclerosis. Since the diagnosis her seizures have become progressively worse. In 2008 she was having 1-2 a month, in 2009 she was having 1-2 a week, and this year her average is closer to 1-2 a day (on a good day, bad days can be upwards of 6). Seizure free days are not common at all, seizure free weeks are rare and we have never had a seizure free month. Medicine has not been successful at controlling her seizures. In June of this year after much thought and debate we decided to begin the process to determine if she would be a candidate for epilepsy surgery. In mid-September of this year we completed the Phase I testing, within the next few weeks we should be hearing how we need to proceed.

Through all of this our daughter has been an amazing. She is a trooper and nothing seems to phase her. She is a happy, friendly and tough little girl. She brings light and love to our family and to the doctors and nurses we work with. I hope and pray that she will be a candidate for surgery and it will provide her with a better future.

We have been dealing with this for awhile and it is just recently that I felt comfortable sharing our journey. I hope that by blogging a bit more about what our family is dealing with I can provide support for any other families going through something similar.

Pricing

Sizing (general guideline for sizing -- customs are made to the measurements you send me)

Size	Rise	Hip	Longie Inseam	Shorties Inseam	Capri inseam
Newborn	14"	14-16"	6"	2"	3"
Small	14-16"	16-18"	8"	2"	4"
Medium	16"-18"	18-22"	10"	3"	5"
Large	18"-20"	20-23"	12"	3"	6"
Extra Large	20"+	23"+	14"	4"	7"

Pricing

Size	Longies/Skirties	Shorties	Capri length	Soakers
Newborn	$35	$20	$25	$15
Small	$40	$25	$30	$20
Medium	$45	$30	$35	$25
Large	$50	$35	$40	$30
Extra Large	$55	$40	$45	$35

If your little one needs a longer inseam please add $2 per inch

Twisty Trouser Sizes and Pricing (Longie pricing only, shortie pricing available upon request)

Size (Hip measurement - Rise knit to your measurement)	Inseam	Price
Newborn/Small (10-15")	6-7"	$45
Medium (13-18")	7-8"	$55
Large (16-21")	9-10"	$65
XL/Toddler (19-24")	11-12"	$75

If your little one needs a longer inseam please add $2 per inch

Elizabeth Tunic sizing and pricing

Size	Chest Measurement	Tunic Length (Dress Length)	YYMN Price
Newborn	14"	9" (12")	$30
3 months	17"	10" (13")	$37
6-12 months	18"	12" (14")	$45
12-18 months	19"	13" (16")	$52
18-24 months	20"	14" (17")	$60
2T/3T	21"	15" (18")	$67

Embellishments and Extras

Item	Price
Ruffles	$5
Double Ruffles	$10
Cargo pocket	$5
Stripes, embellished designs, or cables (pricing depends on complexity)	$10-$20
Newborn booties or stay on socks	$15
Scrappies (price depends on size and the number of color changes)	$10-$20
Hat (several styles to choose from)	$25-$40

Custom knitting on your pattern $0.15-0.17 a yard depending on complexity

*NEW* 10% Discount for two or more handknit items.

*NEW* Free return shipping for all YYMN customs.

Shipping within the US includes delivery confirmation. I cannot be held responsible for packages once they leave my hands, if you have any shipping concerns I strongly recommend purchasing insurance.

All knit items are washed and lanolized in ENI Oatmeal, Milk and Honey wool wash prior to shipping. ENI Oatmeal, Milk and Honey is a very mild and GN scent but if you are sensitive to any scents please let me know and I can wash in unscented wool wash for you.

Due to the nature of custom knit items I cannot accept any returns or exchanges. Please measure carefully before purchasing. If there are any issues with your knit item please contact me within 7 business days.