Squooshed!

If that is not a word, I just made it one.

Anyway...I discovered today: whether a Mammogram hurts or not is largely dependent on the technician.
For the past six years I have gotten the procedure done every other year. Until this time it was always Alma (a lovely mother of 6 in her 50's from Mexico). She was always friendly, asked if you were doing alright, if she could move the "item" to be scanned a little more over here.
Alma doesn't work there anymore.

Today it was a young lady who's name I don't remember. She was clearly on auto pilot. You could tell by the way she was emotionlessly rattling the same sentences off to you that she has rattled off to ladies all day long..
"Relax those shoulders, hun..okay...take a deep breath...relax the shoulder, hun...."

Well, lady if you wouldn't toss them around like a dead fish, I might relax!! They are attached to me, you know?
If I could detach them, I would have just mailed them in!
Sheesh!

Everything seems okay, but if the Radiologist needs more images...blah, blah, blah.
On your way out drop the dirty gown....What do you mean "DIRTY"??? Lady, I took a shower and shaved my underarms before I came in here..alright?
Could you just say "used"?
So it was not as much fun this time. Good bye Alma...wherever you are. My coconuts and I miss you....sorely!

What the....

I don't know what happened. I was so wrapped up in doctors and tests and other things that I neglected the blogging.(Can you be fined for neglecting a blog??)
The young one was finally diagnosed with severe migraines. My Dad had them really bad. I hardly ever get a headache, so it must have skipped a generation. At least we know now what is going on and can deal with it.

Many things happening in Karin's Knitting World: I am doing a test knit for one amazing designer: Ines Sousa. Her ravelry name is "seni" if you like to check her out. I'm using the Schoppel Wolle "Zauberball", which is just the most wonderful yarn I have worked with in a long time. And I love the long color changes. And..Yes! I am using beads. This shawl is gonna be really nice!

I did finish the socks for Nici's birthday with two days to spare....cutting it kinda close, lol

A friend whose DIL is going through chemo asked me if I would knit a hat for her. Well, of course. So I settled on a week and a half of time and then my competitive little brain turned it into a challenge. How many hats can I knit in a week and a half? Turns out the magic number is: (drum roll please....) 7!
My friend was very happy, she will let her DIL pick the ones she likes and donate the other ones.
Here are five of them. Now I have to figure out why photobucket is telling me that my pic is no longer available from the owner...which would be me....hm.

If you want, you can look at the other ones on my project page on Ravelry under the tab "Mika's hats".

I also started a pair of strangely constructed socks. A fellow raveler suggested :"just trust the pattern" and that's what I'm doing. They are called "Skew" and are a challenge. But the end result will be very nice.

I am trying (purely for myself) to avoid the word "awesome".  The universe is awesome. A hot dog....not so much.
Anyway...I'm striking up a friendship with the musician I mentioned before. Since he shows interest..all bets are off. I am pulling out all the stops. LOL!!
Much to the amusement of my children.
So far I got some nice additions to my wardrobe (new shirts and a cute skirt) and I have actually thrown away some things from my antiquated closet. I had to be heavily sedated for this...but I did it.
On to more adventures!

What's happening?

Quite a bit. The things I am currently working on are: a simple pair of fingerless gloves, mindless knitting while I wait in waiting rooms, examination rooms, while we figure out what's ailing my 13-year old. That girl has seen more doctors in the past 4 weeks that I have in my entire life!

A pair of socks for my soon-to-be 23-year old for her birthday.

A test knit I finished recently for a pair of very pretty lacy fingerless mitts. I will be making them again in a pretty peach color for my friend Tammy"s wedding. Here are the matching photos, btw.

The "Hwaet" socks from the Sanguine Gryphon. The entire Beowulf Saga in the original language on a pair of socks. The Wannabe-Historian in me could not resist. Using my friend Debbie's hand dyed yarn. Loving every minute of knitting these.

Two new designs are up for test knitting right now on Ravelry.

Went to see NiteCrew again last night....at the invitation of the keyboard player. We saw them the last weekend in April and he invited us to their next performance this Friday.
To say the least: it was interesting. The place was a Sports Bar/Lounge. A couple of very strange characters there.

The main attraction were clearly two ladies that decided to sport a corset as appropriate attire. If you are DESPERATE! Both had ample "front porches"...one more so than the other. And really: once your boobs have their own zip code, you might want to reconsider stuffing them in a cup size A 32.
Had  a lot of fun though, just watching people.
Here is a little tid bit of conversation I had with a clearly drunk guy.
Guy: "You have an accent...where you from?"
Me: "From Germany."
Guy: "Oh, really? Cool! I'm going to Italy in two weeks."
Me: ....
What do you say to that? Where is the relation? I guess it made sense in his head, lol.

In other news: A triangular shawl design is in the making. A little different approach. I hope to have it ready for testing by the end of April.

Freedom!!!!

CAUTION: This is a rant.

I want a piercing in my nose, I want those wrinkles gone around my eyes, I want a blue streak in my hair and I want to wear flowing long skirts, lots of necklaces and higher heels. I want to wear my hand knit socks in the open. I want to get a bellybutton piercing. I want liposuction.
I want to get up when I want, be creative, go out with friends, go to bed when I want and do it again the next day. I want a boyfriend. I want to be my own boss. I want to sing in a band again.
I feel stifled, caged in and beat down by a friggin' environment that I don't care for. I don't want to be what society wants me to be.
* bows*
Thank you.

There is a reason....I promise...

There is a reason why I made an emergency trip to Michael's last night. There is also a reason why I was up way past midnight knitting one ginormous slipper sock.
It all started with my daughter's best friend getting hurt in PE. Called Physical Education...hm...when I went to school it was called Gym class. PE was when my Dad smacked me on the head for something incredibly stupid, dangerous or disrespectful I had done. But I digress.

Daughter's best friend got hurt in Gym class. One lengthy Emergency Room visit later it is clear she severely sprained her ankle. One large wrapping around the foot and she is sent home. Around 7 pm my daughter gets the text message that the slipper socks I knitted won't fit over the wrapped foot. And her toes are cold.

Since I didn't have enough yarn in a color she liked, we had to make an emergency run to Michael's. Since I was there, I picked up some yarn for a summer t-shirt I want to knit. You know... In case the yarn is not available anymore next week. And some more yarn for fast slipper socks.

So a few hours later the orange-purple monster was created. It is well loved and keeps wrapped toesie's warm. Another crisis averted by the Mighty Knitter. TaDa!!!!

What just happened?

A short trip to the yarn store. I happen to misplace tape measures quite often. That's what my kids think. I am convinced that there is a small Black Hole under my couch that swallows knitting notions if you don't watch them. Somewhere in a parallel universe a knitter's house is full of my tape measures and stitch markers.
So...short trip to the yarn store. Fondling some Baby Cashmerino from Debbie Bliss. Holding three colors together that would look amazing in a color work glove. But the price of almost $ 30 made me put them back.
Then it happened.
At the checkout the owner says: "You know, I'm getting a large shipment in on Tuesday and I will be marking the Rowan and some other yarns at 50% off. If you want, you can get it now...."
Turning on my heel I go back and grab some Ella Rae Lace Merino, some Rowan Tapestry, some wonderful soft acrylic blends and a skein of Regia Sock yarn.
End result: $50.
So apparently I have a problem with $30 regular price, but not $ 50 sale price?
What just happened?
In other news: The Elephant gloves have been test knitted.
Here is a pic:
She's cute...isn't she?
Nothing severe had to be changed in the pattern, just made a little clearer.

I'm having this awful chest cold that takes my voice away...literally. And when it is back I sound like Barry White. Just...less sexy.


Working on a simple stranded color work design now, that will be up for another secret, Black Ops, clandestine, stealthy testing mission soon.
I swear... I don't know where I would be without my testers. I love them all.

Glove Insanity!

WHAT????? I have not posted pictures of my latest gloves? The Psychedelic sheep? The leafs? How could I forget? Oh...wait...it might have something to do with the person that decided 8:00am is a good time to start working.
Anyway..the challenge of knitting 11 pairs of fingerless gloves in 2011 is completed. Piece of cake. Now my goal is to find out how many I can knit in a year and then sell them all at Bazaars around Christmas to support the yarn habit.
Designing a pair of fingerless gloves for the youngest one right now. She wants Elephants. So...color work it is. She picks a gray background and orange Elephants. That's my kid after all, lol. Have a look at the psychedelic sheep.

Purple sheep, orange grass, a yellow sky with green clouds. The colors, dude!
Will post pics when the Elephants are done.
May be looking for test knitters.
I should also get back in my kitchen for some more yarn dyeing.
To be continued......