Back to back

It's been a two weeks now since I first took to my bed with back pain. I threatened my body with a trip to the doctors office and woke up a week ago feeling much better, though still stiff. The experience has been a bit of an eye opener for me, for a few different reasons.

I still struggle with assigning my self-worth by how much I get done in a day. My childhood had quite a bit of jump-up-and-look-busy and I still fight the need to do so to keep some imaginary peace. After nine years together, I still feel a flood of relief when Julian walks in the room to find me resting or doing something I enjoy and he isn't bothered by it.

In addition to not feeling well physically, I have felt quite low emotionally over the fact that Julian has been up and working around the house while I languish in bed, not sleeping, or pace the floors like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. I've been so bored. This creates a nasty cycle of medicating myself so I feel better so I can do more work, so I can feel better about my accomplishments but then I feel poorly for twice as long because I'm pushing my body beyond the boundaries it has set for me.

It has also become clear to me how much neglect my body has seen. So many women struggle with a negative perception of their bodies. I am the opposite. I grew up strong and beautiful, thin and flexible, fast. I am not that way anymore and I want to make a change, but objects at rest stay at rest, no?

Tomorrow morning, I will head to the orthopedist and have an x-ray just to be sure. I'm having lingering numbness in both legs and a feeling like bugs crawling on the back of my calf. I hope there is something to do to help. I'm a little concerned they will say it all looks normal.

Why does 33 have to feel so very different than 23?

*it's ok for all off you who are more advanced in age to roll your eyes at me now*

Yarn Along - Yarrow

Happy yarn along day! We are skulking around here, trying to stay in the shade as much as possible, parched, only venturing out to water the wilted plants. I am loathe to even turn on a light in the house so we bumble around in the dark. We do our daily walk after sundown each night. Pray for rain.

I've been sewing while indoors, and getting good things done with it! Thanks to Joanna, The Nome Knitter, I've started making my own DPN cozies using her blog tutorial. Genius, I tell you, and I'm feeling a bit sheepish for pouring over her IG photos of the process and making my own failed attempt before it occurred to me to google to see if there was a tutorial.

So I've cast on another pair of socks to match my sweet cozy. It's the little things in life that keep the days going, no? I'm not sure what pattern to use but I think it is a stripy yarn (Deboarh Norville Serenity Sock in Harlequin) so I may stay basic. I'm waiting for my KAM snap pliers to be delivered, today I hope, and then my cozy and I will be in top working order.

Lastly, I am reading Gap Creek by Robert Morgan. I posted it on IG and the people who have read it said they really enjoyed it. The book starts fast, but now I've settled in to see where it may be headed next.

What about you? What are you making and reading? Show and tell with Ginny and the others or comment below.

Yarn Along, in slow motion

Woot! It's yarn along day and I actually knew it before Thursday. The time has been zoom-zooming by and we've been caught in the whirling vortex of exhaustion otherwise known as vacation.

Now that May is behind us, we can settle in and find a new routine. We've gotten the wanderlust out of our systems {maybe} and life is getting sorted, full checklist style. In addition to the checklist, I'm hosting a KAL. Yep. Because I need more things to not get done when I'm supposed to!

This KAL has been, let's say "premeditated." It is premeditated in that I did think about it a wee bit before jumping in with both feet, but it is not meticulously planned with two weeks lead in time to give you a chance to find all the perfect items to aid in a successful KAL experience. Like murder. I thought about it long enough to decide to do it, but it might not be a great idea just now. Please, just roll with me here.

Basically, in my last episode of the podcast, I said I wanted to knit two-at-a-time socks. Then the lovely Lorelei said she wanted to do the same but toe-up, and suggested we do it together. I was stalling because I hadn't the proper needles, but then fate smiled on me and I found just what I needed in an old tin at an antique mall. And BANG! A KAL was born.

The two-at-a-time KAL will run June 1 - July 31 (That means, start TODAY). If you would like to join in, you can find all the details in my Ravelry group. If not, that's fine, too and Lorelei will win all my prizes. She won't mind that one bit.

So why is there a set of DPNs in the photo above? As I've been spending an insane amount of time in bed these past two days, nursing my ailing back, it occurred to me that I might want to do a swatch since I'm using brand new needles and yarn that I've never tried before, too. The resulting fabric was floppy and see through, not at all what I need it to be for a good pair of socks. So, Amazon to the rescue and in two day's time I will have a circular size 0 instead of this size 1.5. So I've started this tippy toe f my first toe up sock on these trusty lil' DPNs and will transfer them when the other needle comes.

Won't you join me?

***

I'm listening to Come Rain or Shine by Jan Karon in audio, and to be honest, it is falling a bit flat for me. It all seems rather drawn out and repetitive. Why is the book so long? Just tell me about the wedding already!

In "real life" I am trying to wrap up the Poisonwood Bible, and I am hopeful that the story doesn't get any worse. It is already worse than I can bear, hence the three month hiatus. Really. People. So mch sadness.

And in really real life, I'm reading two borrowed books {from Nailya} about knitting history and shawl techniques. Both are fascinating if you can get over the fashion faux pas of the late 1900's: Knitting Around the World and Shawls and Scarves.