Monthly Archives: November 2011

I know I left a blog around here somewhere…

Posted on by

Oh! Here it is and as usual, cats and knitting are making their appearance.

You just can’t argue a bed full of cats and yarn. Keaton was in the room somewhere, probably on my desk or chair. I was getting ready for some machine scarf knitting. The yarn right next to Ditch is my afghan that I am making from the Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn that I originally intended to be for a Doctor Who scarf. The afghan covering the bed is one that my Grandma made for my mother who gave it to me a few years ago. It’s old, has a couple of holes but fit my color scheme for my bedroom so perfectly that I just had to use it.

I have finished this:

and didn’t want to knit another one by hand (at least not with the Red Heart yarn) . I didn’t manage to run across a decent acrylic in the right colors for a Harry Potter Prisoner of Azkaban scarf, so I went with the colors from the first two movies. I will probably do this one again on the machine.

Here is the Gryffindor scarf (done with Vanna’s Choice, 52 stitches across, Bond knitting machine, plate 4), hanging and ready to be sewn into a tube. I took a couple of days off to let my wrists and back rest and then started the next one. Hufflepuff was next (Red Heart, 60 stitches) and is also waiting to be sewn into a tube. Thank you cheap knitting machine! I wanted a bit more width than what I got on the Gryffindor scarf so I used 60 stitches. Slytherin has been cast on, also with 60 stitches and should be finished by tomorrow unless when I run out of yarn and decide not to can’t make myself run to JoAnn’s to get more right away.

I’ve cast on for a scarf for Eliza out of the same yarn I used for her hat last year but I may decide to do that one on the machine if the yarn will cooperate. It’s almost an eyelash yarn. If not then I will redo it with bigger needles. I am also almost finished with a Christmas stocking and have plans to make another one. I’m really feeling the call to cast on for a pair of socks for me. I just need to go play in my sock yarn and see what jumps out of the stash and onto my needles.

We said goodbye – again.

Posted on by

I’ve just come home from the grave site service of an interesting man. He is a cousin of my ex-husband, and someone I did not know very well. In fact, I’ve only met him twice. The last time I saw him was many years ago, in a setting much like today’s. Randy had led a full life of ups and downs and many of the downs were pretty down. He had overcome more obstacles than I can imagine going through and at one point in his life vowed to turn it around. He went through a lot to make that turn and I think, made it brilliantly.

That setting of so long ago was in a hospital in Salt Lake City. Randy had suffered from some kind of brain aneurysm rupture and was on life support. The family had made the difficult decision to take him off life support and then gathered together in his ICU room to say goodbye. I am honored to have been present. Another cousin gave him a blessing telling him it was okay to move on, we had his back, his child and parents would be cared for, we loved him and would see him on the other side. At the very end of the blessing, Randy woke up and tried to speak. The doctors were called in, we were shooed out of the room and many long minutes later we were informed that taking Randy off life support was no longer an appropriate decision. He recovered. From something people aren’t supposed to be able to recover from. He was however still sick from other things. He went on to live a few more years, grow even stronger in the gospel, long enough to instill in his son a much needed example and did so through more pain and illness than I can imagine. He was an inspiration to all who knew him and to all, like me, who knew of him. He passed away last week and will be missed.

And so, we gathered again today. Again I was honored to be present and again we said goodbye. My heart goes out to those who were close to him and I wish them peace and comfort.

Thank you, Randy Adkins, for your inspiration. God Speed.