Design through Pharmacopia

So, I have been battling a bronchial infection for going on three weeks now and the cocktail of medications prescribed is having very positive effects and not all of them medical. The insomnia induced by the steroid I am taking is life altering. At 1:30 am when I went to bed last night I was sure I could have powered most of the county I live in, I had that much juice. Luckily, for me the steroid does not make me hallucinate just keeps me wide awake with nowhere to go.We have a good friend who hallucinates like mad when he has to take this particular drug.I just had that one dream about of in-Vitro babies but I am thinking that was a normal reaction to the birth of octuplets in California.

No, my reaction is much more productive. I have designed a new hat and wristwarmer pattern, another pair of Valentine Day wristwarmers for a friend and the correct way to finish an Aran that has been giving me issues, some new lace shawls, three new garden beds, an herb garden design and a flier to send to prospective gardening clients. Then after I solved the economic crisis and contemplated World Domination I dosed off for a few hours. Wide awake again at 4:00 am I considered just getting up and getting on with my designs. The doctor's orders that I need rest did nothing to calm my speeding mind but I did force myself to stay in bed for a few more hours.

Now if my fingers will fly as fast as my mind did. I am not recommending or condoning any kind of pharmacological intervention on the days you have nothing in the design bag but I will let you know where this goes.

Another interesting side effect of the drug soup is the possibility of tendon damage (and I won't even go into the exorbitant unfunded cost of this antibiotic by my overpaid Health Insurance company, that is a rant for another day). My doctor, whom I love, started me on the steroid before he knew how resistant this particular bacteria was. Once started you can't stop steroids so here I sit, afraid to blow a tendon (are there tendons in our brains??) while my Weight Watchers butt gets bigger everyday. I can't wait to take a deep breathe and get back on my bike.

I will keep you posted about all these designs...

Franklin was commenting the other day about his "process",describing how his workspace looks while in the middle of the "process".

I thought I would share a shot of my desk which is clean for the first time in months. Of course, now that I actually see the photo it looks like the workspace of a demented mind who doesn't know her way around of a vacuum but to me it is a vast improvement.



My girls can attest to the fact that this is pretty neat for mom.

Here is a little germ of an idea. I'll let you know if it grows into a full blown bacteria.


And here is my Brooklyntweed shot of a new Aran for Mace. OK one real slap in the face of these drugs, aside from the obvious inability to type, is that I cannot think upside down and circularly. I had the great idea of working St. Patrick from A Fine Fleece from the top down, with a nod to Janet Szabo. Everything went along swimmingly until i got to the join the front and back and work down circularly point. Four attempts later I threw in the towel and proceeded with each portion done separately. Now I am not a girl who minds seaming so this is not a huge problem and after the time I invested in trying to keep the cables twisting at the appropriate times and rounds where they didn't have to twist, and the appropriate rows and keep the cables going in the right twist when they are upside down. OK so I admit I am not the Omnipotent leader of all my knitting. I put the front back on one needle and I got my groove on again. Humbling, I tell you, humbling.





Pretty, huh? Whadda think, Mace?

Houston, We Have Launch

Well, it finally happened. The oldest little chick has left the nest. She got herself a wonderful job in Norfolk, VA and we moved her down last week. She starts tomorrow. How cute is her apartment???

She will be completely embarrassed that I am showing pictures of it in this state, it looked much better within hours of this shot, but isn't beautiful, granite counters, folks. I don't have granite counters.

Her bedroom is full of light and has this wonderful deck right outside her door.



The living room is small but it will be cozy.


I think it is a wonderful place to start a new life. The neighborhood is very, well, neighborly. Virginia is the friendliest state. Everyone stops to talk and these are long chats not the quick nods you have up north. All in all a great place to begin her new life. And she got a job in this economy in architecture, I'm just saying. (Can you tell how proud we are.)

We will move onto other things now so I can stop thinking about her empty room upstairs.

I have started a Janet Szabo inspired FLAK sweater for DD#2. The yarn is Devon from Classic Elite, unfortunately, it is discontinued and I am not sure I will have enough to finish. Short-sleeved wool Aran, anyone?




The yarn was left over from this Gansey.





I knit for a very good friend a few years ago. He and my husband built me a beautiful chicken coop in trade for this sweater. He is a very large man( this is 61" at the chest) so I bought lots to be sure I would have enough. I thought I had a ton left over but all the cabling is really eating it up . At this point I think I will stop working on the back, pick up for the front (this is worked top down). See how far I get and whether I will have enough left for the sleeves. Seems awfully heavy for a vest and I know she wants a really cozy warm sweater soooo.... if anyone out there has any Classic Elite Devon in color Brixham Brass #9363 (it is a kind of brassy, mustard color) who would be willing to part with a few skeins I would be eternally grateful and willing to pay dearly. She loved this yarn and the color will look amazing on her.


I also ordered this Malabrigo Sock Yarn from Webs back in October so what a surprise to receive this in the last week. Of course I want to stop everything else and be alone with this but I will soldier on and finish all the heavy wooly things I must with this as the shiny holy grail of knitting at the end. I think it wants to be a shawl don't you?



Isn't it drool worthy??

Have a great week.