Anticipation...

I can't believe I just spent a wad on one skein of yarn... Ok, it was less than $20.00, and for many knitters, that is cheap, but for me, I could probably get 4 skeins from one of the other vendors I tend to frequent for that price...  But, I was gifted a skein of this Independent Dyer's yarn to create a new sock pattern with, and it was so inspirational (the Frills and Lace pattern was the result of that yarn) that I just had to try her stuff again.  The Indie Dyer is Lisa Souza, and her yarns can be found at www.lisaknits.com The colors are vibrant and the yarn is sooooooo soft and beautiful and she does some amazing techniques with her dying that I haven't seen elsewhere.  I am sold, and probably hopelessly addicted now to her yarns.

The skein I was gifted was her Sock! line in the color Delft.  This time, I decided to try her Blue Faced Leicester Sock! in the color Jonquil.  It appears to be either a speckled yellow with purple and orange speckles or with splotches of purple and orange.  Either version is fine with me.  I just know it will get the creative juices flowing and I am looking forward to it arriving, hopefully in the next week.

I am also looking forward to seeing how the BFL knits up.  I understand from others in the knitting world that this yarn is supposed to be softer and more lucious than normal merino wool yarn, but having never experienced it, I am anticipating finding out for myself.

I know a lot of knitters who make socks worry about how much nylon is in their sock yarn, and for some of the socks I knit for other people, I pay attention to that.  But when I am knitting for myself, that is one consideration I really don't need to worry about too much.  First of all, I am gathering quite a collection of hand knit socks, so none of my socks get worn extensively.  Secondly, I have always been relatively gentle on my socks - I still have pairs of commercial socks that are nearly 30 years old and have not yet worn holes in them!  Some are now orphans due to the Dryer Monster, but still, that's a long time for socks to last, and I take much better care of my handknit socks than I ever did of my store-bought ones (and they have no need to fear the Dryer Monster as they will never go in the dryer). 

Truth be told, I really don't wear socks much anyway.  during the cooler months of the year, I do wear them when I go outside, and to town, etc., but with how my health has been for the last 2 years now, I hardly manage to get dressed and go anywhere that I would need to wear socks.  I rarely wear them around the house as I don't like wearing shoes (balance issues), and with all the greyhounds and cats, I am afraid I might step in something that I wouldn't want to get on my socks.  (feet are much easier to wash).  I will wear them to bed on cold nights, especially if I am keeping the bedroom door closed because the Dear Husband has jacked the fire in the woodstove to melting.  Since the only heat is via the woodstove, and it sits on the other side of the bedroom wall, it can get unbearably hot (for me) if I don't close it, but when I do, it does get nippy in here.  I do sleep better when it's cold though as long as my feet are warm, hence the socks in bed in the winter. 

Just because I don't wear them much doesn't mean that I will ever get enough of sock knitting.  I enjoy it.  It makes me relax and I am happy to see the designs come to life in the yarny goodness that are socks.  They are also short term projects which are about all my poor failing mind can handle these days.  I tend to have a shorter attention span as I get older (and have to take more medicine to deal with all the health issues), and the length of a sock project is about all I can manage anymore.  I'd love to do a sweater again someday, but... it takes soooo much more yarn and soooo long, I'd probably run out of patience and money long before I could finish a sleeve even!  No, I'll stick to my socks.  If you think you want a pair, let me know.  I am always looking for victims recipients to bless with socks...

Temptress Socks are now live!...

I am really excited to add this pattern to the growing list of sock patterns that I have designed.  This is a very pretty lace sock that looks much more complicated than it really is.  It's good for experienced knitters as well as new knitters as the directions are pretty well explained.

 

This pattern is available thru Ravelry and costs $5.00.  Many thanks to my proofreaders, Lydia and Verna for all their help and guidance.  This pattern would never have been as great without their help. 

WHAT a day!

What a day!  It started before Dawn as we had to be up early to make the trip to Springfield so I could get a Lumbar Puncture.  This was supposedly to try to determine what some of my current insane health issues are caused by... like the vertigo I've had since early Spring, the recent hemorrage in my left eye, and the ever present lowgrade headaches...

First of all, the Transport (Medicaid provided) was late.  They had us ride on one of those buses that they use for the wheelchair patients.  When we got on, there was already a lady on board that had come from one of the local Nursing homes, and there was not much room available for us.  (2 seats at the very front - one a half-sized seat and the other a full seat that the driver had all his crap on).  The larger seat would have been more comfortable for me, but because of his stuff, there was no way to get the seatbelt around me, so I was forced to perch on the smaller seat with my knees (that are already in bad shape) crammed into the door partition, and with my back up against the cold window.  Comp got the other seat as he is thinner and could get the seatbelt around him. 

Then they had to stop and pick up another lady at a different Nursing Home, and she was no where near ready (not dressed and still sitting on the commode, according to the driver).  We had to wait a half an hour with the back door standing open in 40 degree damp weather before they got her ready and loaded.  By then, she and the other lady who both had drop offs before mine, were already late for their appts, so they went ahead and dropped me off first because if you are late at the hospital, they have to reschedule your test.  Don't know how late those two were, but we did make it - just in the nick of time.  And let's not talk about the Driver's speeds as he tried to make up for lost time... as a former Driver's ed teacher, let's just say I was not pleased...

The test was not too bad.  Really a lot more scary in theory than in actuality.  The technician who did my test was very good and very pleasant, and explained everything very well.  He did tell me that my pressure in the brain and spinal cord was significantly higher than normal, and as a result, he removed 12 ccs of spinal fluid (after what they took to run their tests with) to bring that pressure back down to normal. That did help with the headache.  The jury is still out on the Vertigo and the eye damage is probably permanent at this point.  Recovery was pretty good too - I spent most of that time knitting on socks, so it was a pretty normal experience for me... (what I do on a daily basis)

The real trouble began when they released me.  Comp called an hour before I was to be released to get the Transport on their way to pick us up.  They were supposed to be there right when I was released, or within 15 minutes.  Being as when you have a Lumbar Puncture, you are SUPPOSED to lie flat for the 1st 12 hours, they don't want you sitting around waiting on your ride.  We ended up waiting almost 2 HOURS!!!!  And Steve and I both had to call the Transport coordinators to get them to finally show up and pick us up. Grrrrrrr.  The reason you are supposed to lie flat is that if you don't you end up with a spinal headache, which makes a really bad migraine feel like a day at the beach.  How do I know that?  Gee, I wonder... NOT!!!

And there was no excuse for this having happened.  Because of other issues with Medicaid Transport in the past, I have elected a Preferred Provider to take me for my appts.  Did they schedule me with my preferred provider?  NOOOO... why not?  Their excuse is that they had heard that that company was going out of business.  NOT True.  I know because we have become friends with the people who own the transport company that is now my preferred provider.  The real reason?  The Transport coordinator company has to pay my preferred provider a higher rate than the company that they sent me with (because they contracted them at the higher rate and now want my company to take a rate cut - with gas prices climbing into the stratosphere?).  So they give all the work to the lower priced company and are driving all the smaller and more expensive companies out of business. 

The company I prefer takes good care of their riders and does whatever they can to make the ride more comfortable and bearable for folks like me who have to rely on Medicaid provided transportation (we can't afford the gas to go to Springfield for tests, and where we live, that is the only choice for many of them, not to mention the appts with Specialists).  If they do end up going out of business, it will be because the Transport Coordinator folks have found a loophole and are using it to deny them the riders they need to stay in business.

So tomorrow, when I am supposed to be resting and getting over this ordeal, I will be spending the day on the telephone, reaming new orrifices in the various folks who make the decisions that have caused this horrible experience and the horrific headache I am now suffering.  And if some heads do not roll, I fully intend to take this to the media and allow them to publicize this mess. Those of us on Medicaid are still people who deserve to be treated like people.  Granted some may be of less than stellar mental faculties, but not all of us.  It behooves those of us who are still mentally capable to take a stand and see that things are done right so that not only do we not have to suffer, but so that those with less ability to speak for themselves don't have to suffer either.

And don't get me started on what will happen if Romney gets elected... THAT  thought terrifies me...