Holy crap! I’ve never done this before, in the year and a half we’ve been doing it. I missed Health Group yesterday, (Saturday)! So I’m cheating and posting it on Saturday anyway.

Well, my party yesterday was fabulous. I saw Harry Potter 4 yesterday morning. I have to say that while it’s worth seeing, I was disappointed. They just had too much to cover in that movie to make it compelling. However, I do admit that it had brilliant moments. And it’s always fun to see the characters, hear the music, etc.

As for Health Group….

I didn’t get any exercise in this week. I’ve been spending all my energy on getting the house ready for the party. (It’s so pretty)!

I haven’t eaten enough this week. I probably made up for it in calorie intake last night. Mmmm. But there is definitely room for improvement next week. Which of course is Thanksgiving week. So the calorie consumption isn’t going to improve, but I hope to exercise.

I didn’t weigh myself this week, and to do so now would be inaccurate, considering how much I ate very late last night. So, we’ll wait a week for the scale.

How was your week?

Materials–

1 skein Lamb’s Pride worsted weight yarn (mohair/wool blend)
size 8, 16 inch circular needle, plus double points
stitch marker
size E crochet hook for edging
embroidery needle to weave in ends

Gauge–

18 stitches and 21 rows in stockinette stitch

Stitch Guide–

LSYO- Lift Stranded Yarns Over. With right needle, from front to back, lift the two stranded yarns. Knit the next stitch, which will be the center of the three knit stitches. Pick up the stranded yarns with left needle and lift off of right needle.

TDS- Triple Decrease Sequence. (This only happens on either round 5 or 11 in pattern, when the strands need to be lifted. This will begin at the first of the three knit stitches). Lift the two stranded yarns in the usual way. Slip 1st knit stitch as if to knit, knit next 2 knit stitches together, pass slipped stitch over and off of the right needle, pass the stranded yarns over and off the right needle. This will make 1 stitch out of 3. Next, on the three purl stitches that follow, slip one as if to knit, knit two together, pass slipped stitch over. Lastly, repeat the first decrease on the next three knit stitches. You have made 3 stitches out of 9.

SSD- Single Set Decrease. This divides up the decreases mentioned above into different parts. When working the purled stitches, simply slip 1, knit 2 together, and pass the slipped stitch over. When working the knit and stranded stitches, decrease as outlined above. An SSD makes 1 stitch out of 3.

Pattern–

Cast on 96 stitches. Place marker at beginning of round as you join into the round.

round 1- (purl 3, slip 3 w/ yarn in front)
round 2- same as round 1
round 3- (purl 3, knit 3)
round 4- same as round 3
round 5- knit 4, LSYO, (knit 5, LSYO), knit 1
round 6- knit 3, purl 3
round 7- (with yarn in front, slip 3, purl 3)
round 8- same as round 7
round 9- knit 3, purl 3
round 10- same as round 9
round 11- knit 1, LSYO, (knit 5, LSYO), knit 4
round 12- purl 3, knit 3

Work rounds 1-12 three times.

Work rounds 1-4 once more.

1st decrease round- Work 21 stitches in pattern, TDS, work 39 stitches in pattern, TDS, finish round.

Work pattern rounds 6-10.

2nd decrease round- work 6 stitches in pattern, TDS, work 39 stitches in pattern, TDS, finish round.

Work pattern rounds 12, then 1-4 again.

3rd decrease round- Work 27 stitches, TDS, work 27 stitches, TDS.

Work rounds 6-12 even in pattern, no decreasing.

Work rounds 1-4.

4th decrease round- (knit 3, TDS) all the way around.

Work rounds 6-10.

5th decrease round- SSD all the way around. You will have 10 stitches left at this point.

Last round- knit 1, purl 1 all the way around, cut yarn leaving a long tail, weave in ends.

Edging– (I’ve never written crochet instructions, so be kind).

(Sl, hdc, dc, tr, tr, dc, hdc) for those of you who know what you’re doing. If you’re like me and would not have the foggiest idea what that means, I’ll try to spell it out in the babbling that follows.

The stitch pattern in the hat repeats every 6 stitches. The bottom most knit stitch under the first lifted strands is where we begin with our first crochet stitch. Holding hat upside down (see?) with right side facing, and after securing your yarn, stick your crochet hook in that stitch from front to back.

Work a slip stitch.

In the next knit stitch which is hard to see because it’s semi-hidden behind the strands, work a half double crochet.

In the next knit stitch, work a double crochet.

Now, going between the stitch you just worked and the next knit stitch, which will be the center knit stitch, do a triple crochet. Do it again on the other side of the center knit stitch.

In the next knit stitch, work a double crochet.

In the next knit stitch, which is again semi-hidden under strands, so you have to dig for it, work a half double crochet.

You’re ready to begin again in the stitch directly under the picked up strands with a slip stitch.

Notes– This pattern will probably undergo some updates and changes as more of you knit it and comment, particularly the crochet bit, since I have almost no idea what I’m talking about. I may try to illustrate somewhat for you next week, with up-close pictures and arrows, but ultimately, I suggest having someone show you how to do it.

I’m the blind, leading the blind on this one.

But take my word for it, it’s REALLY not hard.

For a shorter hat, work rounds 1-12, 2 1/2 times before beginning your decreases instead of the full 3 times. It’ll change the specific numbers a bit, but you’re smart. You can figure it out.

On rounds 1&2, and rounds 7&8, when you’re making the strands, don’t pull the yarn tight. You want to leave enough yarn to span the three slipped stitches comfortably.

The knitalong– Nate suggested we do some Synchronized Knitting. This means we’re going to be knitting together. Meaning this knitalong will be short. I’ll announce a start date and duration on Monday, and will post it on this post as well. I’m totally out of time right now. Gotta go.

UPDATE- The knitalong will run from November 21st to December 16th, 2005.

Button–

Good luck, have fun!

I apologize for the somber mood of this entry.

I found out last night that my friend’s husband that I had recently knit the hat and fingerless mitts for died on Monday night. He had cancer, and from what I can tell, he wasn’t able to withstand the treatment.

I do not grieve for him, as I know he’s in a better place right now, and is no longer in pain. But I grieve for those left behind to live with the void. His wife, his family, and to a smaller degree, the rest of us that knew him.

Although I’m sure it doesn’t get easier with experience, this is a very strange feeling for me. I haven’t lost many people that I know personally. There have been many deaths I was aware of that were significant to people I knew and loved, but it’s always been a step removed from me.

I knew and respected this man. I’d sat in on his classes. I am very familiar with his voice. I adore his wife and daughter.

I ache for them.

I’m not doing it on purpose. I’m not trying to wield power or torment anyone. I just don’t have all my ducks in a row yet to post the Esther hat pattern. However, I’m getting closer. Veronica took 2 dozen pictures of me in it this morning, and I think that one of them will work out. It is going to look similar to the hat picture she took last time, in that my hands are strategically placed under my chin to hide the extra flesh that’s there.

Why mess with a good thing? It worked the first time.

I still need to knit up a gauge swatch. The swatch will just be stockinette, but it will give you an idea of the gauge the pattern was written for. Maybe I’ll do that at my niece’s birthday party today.

Yesterday went well. I didn’t crash hard until dinner time. The curtains were washed, ironed, and re-hung. All except for one panel that was hiding on my bed and didn’t make it into the washing machine. Dangit.

The family room and portions of the living room were completely disassembled and dusted. It feels SO good to have that done.

I have a list of things that need to be done, spread out over the rest of the week to have my house ship-shape and semi-Christmas-y by Saturday night for the party. Tomorrow, we’re making pressed butter cookies. Mmmmm. Friday, we’re making gingerbread cookies again. I’ll have the girls do it while I’m cleaning something. They’re on half-days for the rest of the week.

Nate found a yummy looking peppermint brittle recipe in the latest Martha Stewart Everyday Food magazine,

so we’re going to try that out. Again, mmmmmm.

Yeah, now we know why I have to hide my ample chin with my hands in hat pictures. But at least I enjoy myself.

Other than the stuffed mushrooms and wassail which will be homemade, I think the rest of the food will come from Costco. Mini-quiche, yogurt covered berries, etc.

I plan to drag out the glittering garlands Friday, the wreaths from the school fundraiser are coming in on Thursday, my Christmas Music i-pod lists are all set…. It’ll be a good time.

I love the holidays.

Either way, I’m deep cleaning today. I was so tired after running a few errands yesterday morning, I couldn’t even knit, so I just laid on the couch for the rest of the day.

Today, I woke up with some energy, and I’ve taken down all the curtains to wash them. I’m emptying the shelves in the family room and dusting. I’m CLEANING my house, baby! And I will continue to, until about 1 o’clock, when I’m guessing my energy will run out, and then I’ll crash again, spending the rest of my day drooling and staring at the wall.

But at least I would have accomplished something, right?

Crappy pregnancy complaint of the day- Last night, I was too tired to eat, literally, so I skipped dinner (even though I had cooked it). Despite this, I STILL had a heartburn attack around 10pm. What’s up with that? I didn’t even eat!

I was mad.

I’m just about to start my 6th repeat on the Interlocking Balloons scarf. So I’m over half done! Yay!

Anyone want a fish? Klingon is up for grabs.

He is a young lionhead goldfish that I have had since the spring.

I am giving him away for two reasons. First, in my current state of health, I can’t clean my tanks out as often as I usually do, and so reducing the number of fish in my big tank will reduce the quantity of waste produced between cleanings, thus helping everybody out.

Second, he’s obnoxious. I originally bought him for my smaller tank that is in my bedroom. I have another lionhead, and a pearlscale in there. Both are females. When Klingon (who earned his name in that tank) was introduced, both of my girls started releasing eggs, and he liked eating them. That’s normal. What isn’t so normal is that he wasn’t content to wait until the eggs came out. So he became a butt-sucker. He chased them all the time, not aggressively, but in pursuit of eggs. So he was banned to the BIG tank. Now, most everything in the big tank is very big. He was about 2 inches long at the time, and three of the four fish in the big tank were pushing 10 inches. A normal fish would have made himself scarce, but not Klingon. The second I released him into the water, he muscled his way into the center of the pack.

This fish has no fear.

So, he behaved himself for a number of months, but he’s back to his old habits now. And I find it annoying. Fortunately, the other fish in the tank are so big, that they don’t exhaust themselves by running away from him like my little girls did. To the big guys, he’s more of a nuisance. No one is getting beat up or tattered, he just pecks at the bottom, looking for stuff.

I know, ewww.

So, I think that Klingon needs to go to a tank all by his little self. I think he’d be ok in a 10 gallon for a year or so, but ultimately, he will need 20 gallons to be healthy and happy, in my opinion. If I didn’t already have two tanks, I’d seriously get another tank, just for him. He’s really beautiful. He’s healthy, he’s a strong swimmer, he has really good confirmation…..

He’s a nice fish, and very enjoyable to watch. So long as he’s by himself.

I don’t want to give him to a pet store, because their tanks are loaded with parasites and illness, and Klingon has been in a closed, healthy, and parasite free environment since the spring. When he came home from the pet store, he was quarantined, treated for flukes, given a salt bath, and observed for a month. He’s been healthy ever since. I’d say he’s about 3 inches long right now, or close to it. He’s growing very nicely.

Anyone want him?

And if not, (and I cringe to even consider this, because I need another responsibility like I need a hole in the head), does anyone have a tank they want to get rid of that I can put him in?

As for the Esther Williams hat… We’re really getting close to posting a pattern. I’ve taken some up-close pictures to illustrate the crocheted edge (which is gorgeous, btw. Thanks, Gayle!), and it’ll be ready soon. My pink hat is done. The red hat for my sister-in-law is done and gone.

Really, really close.

I did my weights and physical therapy on Monday. I’m not even going to try to get on the treadmill until my ankle is all the way better (from the sprain). Fortunately, it’s healing very quickly. I wanted to do the weights again this week, but I got a brief little cold on Wednesday and Thursday, so I’ve been resting up.

Pregnancy weight this morning was 230.5. But that was after a bunch of herbal tea and some zucchini bread. So I’ll shave a half pound off in the sidebar.

I’m able to eat better, more frequently, and I’m taking my vitamins. Life is slowly (VERY slowly) improving. I still stay on the couch with my feet up most days.

This Wednesday, I’m officially half-way through the pregnancy!

I love this hat!

It is fast, it is easy, it is gorgeous…. And it looks incredibly rich and festive in red! All three of the Esther Williams hats I have knit so far, (red included) have been knit with Lamb’s Pride. I know that some of you will knit it with something else, (and I did have the thought that if I were a good little pattern writer, I’d do one in another worsted weight yarn, just to see how it’d go), but I love how it looks in Lamb’s Pride. I like the single ply, the slight sheen, and the mohair fuzziness. It’s just SO pretty, that I haven’t wanted to use anything else. This one is being knit with their Raspberry color. The pink one is Victorian Pink, and the white one, I don’t remember the name of, but it’s still Lamb’s Pride.

I’m two decrease rounds into the red one so far, and I might flip-flop a couple rounds just to see what happens. My friend Gayle couldn’t come over yesterday, but I’m hoping that sometime over the weekend, we’ll get the crochet worked out. I am traditionally very anti-crochet, but I am growing up a bit, and I realize that it has its place. The edge of my Esther Williams hat is one of them.

Thank you all for your comments yesterday. I enjoyed them. There were some inquiries about names, and we do have one boy name, and one girl name that we are very attached to. That being said, I must also say that things can always change at the hospital once we meet the little one, so nothing is in stone. The name Veronica, for example, was low on the list when we had her, and had been crossed off at some point in the elimination process. But there was no question when she came out what her name needed to be.

Our boy name is Clark, and has been for years. We are still hashing out middle names.

Our girl name is Bronwyn, despite the fact that my mom hates it. It has been high on the list with all of our girls, but we haven’t birthed a Bronwyn yet. I feel confident we will get her at some point. It feels inevitable to me.

The baby was determined to “hide the goods” yesterday. It was hugging the umbilical cord, with its legs crossed tightly onto itself. The ultrasound technician is pretty sure she caught a glimpse of a boy, but we won’t know absolutely until our next ultrasound on November 29th. In the meantime, we are assuming we have a growing boy in there.

It’s still very squishy in womb because we’re only at 19 weeks. I guess if I had waited until 20 weeks, there’d be a lot more fluid around him and we’d be able to see more. Serves me right, I guess. BUT, now we get to have another ultrasound!

Last night I was checking my stats, and someone had got to my site by Googling “charming husband”. So I did the same, and my site comes up as the fourth listing. In all of Google, Nate is one of the top most charming husbands. Lucky me! He was quite surprised.

My pink Esther Williams hat is done,

all except for the scalloped edging that needs to be crocheted on. And it is amazing how badly it needs it. It makes all the difference in the world.

I tried my hand at it last night, but I need an expert. My friend Gayle, who crocheted the first one, is going to come over later and help me.

I want to knit one more by following my pattern, to check it, before I post it for everyone. I called one of my sisters-in-law that had recently admired the hat, and asked her to pick a color so I could knit one for her. And she picked red. I don’t know how I’m going to knit and then give up a red one. It’s my color! But hers will need to be a repeat shorter, so it won’t fit me anyway.

Fortunately, It’s a quick knit, and a fun one. I aim to have the pattern up soon, so if any of you want to knit them for Christmas gifts, there’d be plenty of time.

I think we have a boy!