HEY!

It's been utterly crazy around here, Between spraining my ankle so bad it would have been better if I had broken it, mom being sick, and all the other crazy stuff, I haven't thought to blog. Yes, for months, But, I shall get better.
Last time we left, I had discovered that I was allergic to msg. And I was making everything myself. It's been hard, but I've been doing it. Making my own bread, pizza, crackers (not as hard as you would think) muffins, cookies ICE CREAM. It's still a try and see thing, but I haven't had to use my epi pen! I found a restaurant where I can eat, granted it's 2 hours away, but still. Yesterday,
I made this amazing soup using stuff I found in the pantry. It was a mason jar of mixed beans, 28 oz of diced tomatoes, a thing of Swanson chicken broth (which doesn't have msg in it!) some water, garlic powder, pepper, and 2 bay leaves. I threw it all in the crock pot and cooked it for a looong time. a few hours before I ate it, I tossed in a can of tomato paste to thicken it up. Considering I had no idea what I was doing, it turned out so yummy!
but the best part about making everything myself? I feel so much better.
The knitting I shall save for next time (this week, i swear), once I get photos. I have quite a few projects too. Several calorimeterys, a few hats (all blue), some socks, a cowl, some entrelac, washcloths, and even a shawl!

And now for something completely different...

Last week, I saw my doctor. I found out that I have anti-bodies attacking my system. From my lungs, skin, lady bits, thyroid, everything is being attacked. The anti-bodies are from an illness I had when I was younger, one I thought was in remission. To get the anti-bodies, which I have named Borris, to die, my thyroid has to become normal range again. Also during that visit. I realized just how allergic I am to MSG. my heart speeds up I feel twitchy. Everything is in hyperdrive and yet it slows down to a maddening slow speed. I've also been trying to avoid HFCS, which has been very hard.
I decided then and there, with borris attacking me, my heart beating so hard it felt it might burst, I would start making everything I eat from scratch. I've been doing this since sunday. so far, I've made white bread, dill bread, which is omg good, I've made potato salad (barefoot contessa, best ever), egg salad, snickerdoodle blondies (from baking bites, very yummy) and I'm about to go out and make bluth mini muffins, which is just banana and chocolate chips. I've eaten so much fruit, chicken and veggies. Already, I feel better. I'm using my inhaler less, I have more energy, I'm eating a lot less.
this is going to be hard, but I'm sure I can do it. I think.

Coming out of the fog

You know how you drive someplace and have no idea how you got there? Or how you realize a few hours has passed and you have no idea what you did? Thats been me. For the past few months, I've just been, for lack of a better word, drifting thru life. I've felt blah, had no energy to do anything, was depressed and worst of all, I barely knit. Then my doctor ran some tests and turns out, my thyroid is very low, and my vit D levels, which should be 30, were 9. It's going to take a while before everything is back to where it should be, but I'm so glad to know what was the problem.
In the past month, I've cast on for several things! A pair of socks for my mom, and for mothers day, I'm knitting her Saroyan in mal lettuce. For me, I'm making a Baktus (it's for the CPA KCAL on rav), which is my "watching german subtitled movies" knitting. I'm also knitting a few baby sweaters for some friends and just cast off my very first BSJ. I've also been sewing! I'm on a pillow kick right now.
Yesterday, my mom was taking some laundry out of the washer and found she had washed a mouse (the animal, not the cat). Best we can figure, Dezi caught a mouse and then after he was done playing with it, dropped it in the laundry basket. That was new...
The past two days, it's been hot. 97 hot. I don't have a fan (I'm hoping to buy one this weekend), so I spent the entire time complaining about the heat and missing my snow. I just keep thinking only a few more months, then snow. Then I'll complain about how cold it is.

Still here

You can't get rid of me that easy. I know I'm a bad blogger. My laptop got sick and I can't upload any photos till it gets fixed.
Last month, Sherlock passed away. I was going to write a blog post about her, how amazing she was, but just the thought of it made me want to curl up and sob for hours. So, let me say this. Sherlock was my Best Friend for 17 years, No matter what happened, she was there for me. I trusted her so much, which I'm sure seems rather foolish to you. She never once scratched me, altho when she was getting in a tizzy, she would nip. I used to hold her and put her paws on my face and she would just let me. When i was little, I would dress her up. She was the most patient cat I've ever met. At least with me. She treated me differently then other humans. It isn't something I can describe, but if you ever had met you, you would know. She hated to be held, but would sit next to me and let me scratch her till she grew bored and wandered off. I loved her completely, and will miss her forever.

I have a lot to share with you, but I have no idea where to start! So, short version. I srsly messed up my ankle, can barely walk, and, I can't spin. I have this lovely fingering weight yarn halfway spun up, and i can't finish it. Poor Ella hasn't been touched in over a month. I turned 22, somewhat in shock because I have gone 22 years without serious hospitalization. My parents gave me some books and DVD's. I knitted a hat with yarn I spun. Actually, I knit it several times since I was unhappy with how it looked, so I kept frogging it. I read a ton of books. There was Easter, where I got 7 kinds of cheese and some really good chocolate from my parents, along with some books and DVD's and some pink things (mom, I mean, The Easter Bunny did a pink presents theme this year). i went to the first library book sale of the year, where i got some really great reads , and today, it was 91. I found a bumblebee in my bed. I couldn't kill it (see blog name for reason. ok, it isn't really a reason, but I can't kill a bee for no other reason then it somehow got into my room) so I grabbed a glass and tossed it out my window. Where it came back a few minutes later trying to get in. Not the smartest one in the hive. Did I mention it was 91? going from snow to 91 in less then a week is just cruel and heartless. I shall now spend the next 6 months bitching about the heat.

Lovestone

Today is the 1st of February but more importantly, the end of January. Which really sucked. Why you ask? My mom got really sick and her BP was insanely high and she was in danger of having a Stroke. Brain Attack? Brain Fart? Whatever it's now called, she was very close to having one. They now have her on pills that make her very sleepy and her BP rather low, but hopefully soon, she'll be much better.
I broke my nose. For the third time. In less then 3 years. How pathetic is it that I'm used to it by now? Black eyes, swollen nose, cursing every time I go to itch my nose, or the worst thing? When I go to push my glasses up. I've been wearing glasses since I was 8ish, so I do it without realizing it. And I'm wearing contacts since my glasses are too painful to wear right now, so I keep hitting my nose. One day, I will learn. I think. And yesterday, on the very last day, a huge bottle of mouthwash fell on my foot and now my pinky toenail is about to fall off.
To take my mind off of all that, I crocheted. And read (10 books this month!). I went Stash diving and came up with a skein that I got when I first started knitting. It was one of those giant skeins that I got at A.C. Moore in those $5 mill end boxes. I believe the yarn is Red Heart Light and Lofty, which I've worked with before (on my very first blanket) and it's pretty nice for blankets. Without giving it a second thought, I grabbed my J hook and chained on, doing a double crochet. I began working on it over the holidays, but really focused on it the past few weeks.

While working on it, the pooling reminded me of ivy climbing up a house. Regional English common names for ivy include Bindwood and Lovestone. I really hate to admit this, but I knew that from reading some trashy bodice ripper when I was 12, 13.

I love it. Totally absolutely love it. I can see myself watching a movie eating popcorn and wrapped up in this.

Moby Dick

Holy Cow, it's 2010! Remember 10 years ago when everyone was all freaked out about Y2K? And you stockpiled Mandarin oranges and beef stew? No, just me? Ok then.
Last month, it was my Dad's birthday. Back in June, he mentioned that one of his favorite quotes was from Moby Dick. From that, I started designing a hat. It would have the look of a Seaman's hat, plenty of ribbing the quote around the brim, and waves with a whale hidden in them. I was planning on knitting it top down, but after casting on several times and it not looking the way I wanted, I decided to make it bottom up.
My mom was amazing and charted the words and the whale for me, and I used HelloYarn's wave chart, the top half only. I placed the whale above "Object" because well, that was his object. When it was done, after the months of planning, all the hours knitting, the freakouts (this happens when you knit the first row and a half of a quote backwards), it was totally worth it. Dad loves it and has even gotten compliments on it.

Pattern: My own (on Ravelry here!)
Size: 24 inch head
Yarn: Cascade Heritage in Navy and white/undyed. I knitted a few swatches of it and abused the crap out of it. And it withstood it beautifully. No fading, no felting, no dye leaks, it softened a bit in a soak, and was nice to work with.
Needle size: 1 1/2 us 2.50 mm. I used a KP 24 inch circ.

The quote is "All my means sane, my motive and my object mad." Oh and the sweater Dad is wearing? Mom spun and knit it for him about 30 years ago.