Happier Knitter.

Time for an update.  When last we checked in with yarnyMarni, she was feeling very sorry for herself for a number of reasons.  How’s she doing now?

• I still have to re- bind-off my Skew socks, but I don’t feel too bad about that anymore.  Just have to sit down and do it already.  I think once I finish that, I’ll have the drive to figure out what I’m going to knit for the summer.  I’m thinking a shrug or a shawl.
• Time helps put a certain perspective on things, doesn’t it?  My thyroid issues are no longer worrying me… well, at least not until the next round of ultrasound imaging.  It is what it is, I know the nodules are there, my doctors know they’re there, and knowing is more than half the battle.  Whatever happens next, I’ll face it.
• My job is still very stressful, but lately it’s been more manageable somehow.  Friends and coworkers have been very helpful making it so.  Hope it stays that way for a while.
• Absolutely LOVING the bird-watching.  If you’re of a mind, check out this gorgeous post from fellow blogger Allie Duthie, and any post from The Two-Fisted Birdwatcher.
• My knee is doing a lot better after a month of rest and a few physical therapy sessions.  Nothing’s wrong with it – no stress fractures or arthritis – I just have to limit my activity a bit and take it slow with the training.  My goal is to run a 5 or 7K by the end of August.

Next post should actually include some knitting… bear with me while I crawl towards a new project!

Sad Knitter… Sad. Sad.

So… we’re about halfway through May, and I can say officially:  this has NOT been the best year so far.  Here are a few reasons why, in chronological order:

• Remember my Skew socks?  They’re done… but I have to re-do the cast-off.  Both socks are too tight at the cuff.  I… HATE… RE-DOING… CAST-OFFS.  So friggin’ tedious.  And what was I thinking when I cast-off not one, but BOTH socks too tightly?  Extreme frustration.
  

  Skew you, cuffs.

• For the last year-and-a-half, I’ve been getting routine ultrasounds of my thyroid after a complaint to my doctor of mild throat irritation revealed a small-but-not-exactly-insignificant nodule on the right side of the gland.  Nothing about this nodule changed for a good long while, until… my last ultrasound, taken a few weeks ago, showed that the nodule has gotten larger – I’m now 1mm away from a biopsy.  And… a new nodule has formed on the left side as well.  So… I’ll put on my “positive face” and say, “Hooray for Science, for catching stuff like this early!  Yay!”  But I’m silently feeling like my body is betraying me big-time.  Read further for more evidence on this.
• My job lately has become so stressful that it’s taking a toll on my general well-being.  And I don’t see that stress easing anytime soon.  So in order to counter the ill-effects of said stress, I’ve begun a couple of new hobbies…
• (One is bird watching, which, I’m happy to say, is one of the only things these days that stays constantly fascinating.  Doesn’t matter if it’s sunny or raining, doesn’t matter if my feeders are swarming with grackles or if I’m treated to a single rose-breasted grosbeak – my day is instantly better for their company.)
• The other is running.  Years ago, before my daughter was born, I got back into running after a long absence and joined a relay team to race in The Jersey Shore Relay Marathon.  I did this for a couple of years, then stopped working out in any regular way for a really long time.  A few months ago, I started walking at lunchtime at work with a friend of mine from another department, which worked wonders for both of us.  Then my husband and I started a “Couch-to-5K” running program with the intent of racing in The Chocolate Miracle 5K in Hershey, PA.  It started off great… I felt energized and excited and happy to be moving again… and then I got carried away.  Tried to do way too much too soon.  And now I’m nursing what I believe are shin splints, although now it may be worse than shin splints because I didn’t stop running when the pain started.  So while my husband is running 3 miles every other day easily, I’m back on the couch, with ice packs and ibuprofen, awaiting a doctor’s appointment tomorrow evening.  Now, I’ve played a lot of sports in my day, but I have never, NEVER been sidelined by an injury before.  So I’m afraid you’ll have to excuse me while I take this opportunity to feel sorry for my old, decrepit self for a few days… or until I get the all-clear to start running again.
• I haven’t been knitting at all.  Don’t get me wrong – I want to, but I’m in a bind.  I was going to finally start The Cider House Rules Vest for my husband, but since the beginning  of the year, he’s become The Incredible Shrinking Man... literally.  He’s watching what he eats, he’s exercising… and so far he’s shrunk at least 2 sizes since I bought the yarn for the vest.  And he doesn’t want to slow down yet.  I’m not about to start a vest for him, just to find that when it’s finished, it’s too big for him.  No way, not going there.  Well… since I may be spending an inordinate amount of time on the couch with my shin splints, guess I’d better find something else to knit… just don’t know what that’ll be yet.
  

  I’ll knit you eventually.

Let’s end this on a good note:  I had a very nice Mothers Day weekend with my family.  I hope you all did, too.

Bad Knitter… Bad! Bad!

Ohhhhhhhhh… I am SO not earning the “yarnyMarni” nickname these days.  I’ve been doing a lot of things… I’ve definitely been busy… it’s just that everything I’m doing has nothing to do with knitting.  I haven’t even had the time to help a friend of mine out with some pattern issues she was having…  Bad knitter!  Go straight to your room, young-ish lady, and you just think about what it means to be crafty!

Honestly, I really do have to get back into the swing of things.  Can you believe I’m still not done with Skew?  I’m only a few rounds away from binding off the cuff and calling it a day, but nope… haven’t even picked it up.

Less than a half inch to go... seriously, what's taking me so long???

I’m making a promise to myself right now – I’m finishing Skew today.  Really, I’m gonna do it.  Because I absolutely have to start knitting The Cider House Rules Vest for my husband, now that I have the yarn and needles.  Yep, this is happening… today or tomorrow.  Really.

So what have I been doing if not knitting?  A lot of bird watching.  And just this past week, a lot of running.  My husband and I are training for a 5K race in Hershey, PA in June, and since neither of us have physically trained for anything in the last few years, we need a good head-start.  Also, work has just been crazy-stressful lately.  But all that won’t stop me from Skew–ing and Cider–ing this week…

Vest, prepare to be cast-on!

On with it!

Whoa.

…Did I really read 3 books in 4 days?  And didn’t pick up, or (gasp!) even think about my needles once in that time???  That’s definitely a record for me.  Needless to say, I highly recommend The Hunger Games trilogy. 

And now, back to our regularly-scheduled knitting…

I’m Sorry, Did You Say Something… ?

… Trying to finish Mockingjay.  Just a few chapters left… will knit later.  Really.