A Whole Lot of Knittin' Going On

Finally - if you look on the right hand side of this blog, you'll see a "Knitting Meter". It's been at ZERO all this year. This week, I FINALLY was able to update it as I completed the Birthday Aestlight, a birthday gift for my friend Kim. I'm really pleased with how it turned out and she likes it a lot, so I'm counting it as a success!

 There are several other shawls in various stages of progress. First, the Summer Solstice Mystery Shawl by WendyKnits. This is a KAL and we're waiting for the final clue, coming on Tuesday.
 
 Next is the Wollmeise Vortex Shawl KAL with the Wollmeise group on Ravelry. This might turn into an "eternal knit". If I had not decided to put beads on the shawl, it would be a perfect TV knitting project. I only have about 40 stitches per section right now, so there's a lot left to do. :(  I like it, though!
 
 And last, is the Rockefeller KAL with Stephen West. I was going to wait to start this one, but was enticed by all the pretty photos posted in the Ravelry group, so I started mine too.  I'm using Wollmeise 100% in Cassis WD and Gazpacho. I really like the colors together.
 
 Summer is quickly coming to an end. We have begun the countdown to DS#1's wedding, then it's back to school time. This week, we'll catch a baseball game and next week head for the beach. Here's hoping there will be lots of knitting time there, too!

Things You Need to Know-Just in Case!

Here are a few helpful hints, just in case, Heaven forbid, you ever have to have abdominal surgery. First, you are going to be swollen and bloated for awhile. This applied to C-sections too, because I've had two of those and know from experience. To be more comfortable post-surgery, I recommend buying new undies 1 to 2 sizes larger. Also, pick up several pairs of exercise pants, also in a larger than normal size. Comfort-comfort-comfort.....you won't want anything tight around your abdomen for awhile, so you might as well be comfortable.

Now, about body rotation.....you know....the rotation, twisting motion of the waist that must occur in order to take care of certain hygiene-related procedures in the bathroom. In other words, wiping your bottom. :) Is this TMI? Well, trust me, the nurses and doctors at your hospital won't think about it. Here's the scene: It's your first hour back at home and suddenly, it's bathroom time. You go in, do your business, and discover that you are either 1. too sore in the abdominal area to rotate to wipe or 2. too scared that you are too sore in the abdominal area to wipe. What do you do? Call your husband/SO for help and be mortified? Grit your teeth through the pain & do it yourself? Here's how I solved the problem, thanks to my OT friend, Kim. Salad tongs. Yes, salad tongs....just wrap a baby wipe around the end and the salad tongs will provide about a foot of additional reach until you recover your waist rotation. This worked very well and I think Kim is a very clever person!
 

OK - that's enough helpful advice for now. CLAP - on to knitting news. Here's what happened in my knitting room this week:

Clue C of the WendyKnits Summer Solstice Mystery Shawl has been completed!;


I'm also knitting in the Vortex KAL over in the Wollmeise group. Here's mine so far.


Family news: the countdown is on for Nick and Meagan's August 11 wedding. I'll finally have another girl in the family...YIPPEE! Here she is at her shower:



And that's it for now because the power is off again. :( Here we go again!