Warming the Heart

Written 4/12/09

I finished knitting Walter’s sweater. I’ve been blocking the pieces so I can sew it up and put on neckband.It came out quite nice and with using Bulky weight Bernat Alpaka yarn it finished up fast.
My husband has been in the hospital lately, with a heart condition, and this has caused me to be in a knitting frenzy as the moment. With his particular kind of cancer, he is very sensitive to cold, being that his outer skin layer wants to dry out and flake off……..constantly. We don’t really appreciate what our skin does for us until we loose it. It provides our bodies with an insulating layer. When it is thin and exposed, air causes our skin to dry, feeling the cold weather or air more. This triggers a “shivering” response from the brain which sends the message to the body to get moving the muscles to warm it up. Well you get the idea. The heart also gets going faster, sometimes so fast, that it was quite worrisome to some of the nurses, in my husband’s case. So I have been knitting up leg warmers and arm warmers. I have a few skeins of a Valley Yarns Berkshire Bulky. It’s just a K2 P2 in the round pattern but I am hoping to just slip these on W whenever he starts to shiver.

As a temporary measure, until I can get these knitted up. I’ve finshed my Woodland Shawl. It is a lovely green in a leaf pattern made with Lisa Souza Alpaka/Wool lace weight yarn. It is so soft and warm, I just wrap it around any cold part and it warms up nicely. A little too feminine perhaps but when you’re cold and uncomfortable, you will do anything to get warm.

Another quick project I started to break up the monotony is the Ball Band Washcloth from Mason Dixon Knitting. I have always wanted to try this pattern. This is an amazing pattern. It reminds me of a brick wall. It is inspiring me to make other things with this pattern, i.e. flower pots, tissue paper covers, baskets, etc. I have alot of acrylic to use up.

Stress Survival

It has been awhile since I have blogged. We have had a lot to deal with lately. After the 3rd Chemo treatment for my husband’s T-cell lymphoma, his immune system let us down, when he suddenly came down with pneumonia and was hospitalized for a week. He is home now recovering, however, regaining his strength has been slow and it looks like he will go on medical leave until the chemo is done and his strength comes back or remission happens. Soo…we are planning to tighten our belts and be frugal.

Frugality has me going through thrift shops, hunting for old sweaters to frog and trying to knit from my stash. I never was a big spender, when it comes to yarn. Michaels, Walmart and JoAnn’s suit me fine. If I need a better fiber like wool, I will make it myself, as I still have several fleeces to knit from. I love being self-sustaining. Raising three kids on one income so I could be home with them when they were young, gave me good skills in frugality. Some lessons learned never leave you. I also grew up in a home where my parents always saved money and were frugal as well.

One of the side effects of my husband’s disease is that his skin seems to be flaking off constantly, leaving him very sensitive to cold. So just when I thought it was too late to knit a warm sweater in March in California, an opportunity presents itself. I started a soft sweater for him. Initially, it was to be a vest, but he says he wants his arms covered too. I found this soft Bernat Alpaca Yarn, which is 70% Acrylic and 30% alpaca. When I saw it and touched it, I could not resist. It will be very comfy on his delicate skin and be very warm with the alpaca fiber in it. The sweater pattern is just a plain stockinette sweater. The pattern is from Ann Budd’s “The Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns”. This very versatile book has patterns for socks, gloves, vests, hats, tams, sweaters and cardigans in all sizes and gauges. This is a gem of a book. Everyone should have this is their library.

I also am making a hat for him out of the same yarn. However, I’m not sure he will wear a hat. Spring and warmer weather are coming and he may not need one.
I must say my knitting has been very comforting to me. The stress from work this time of year, my husband’s health, and additional home responsibilities have been tremendous. I have developed a tick in my left eyelid from the stress. Knitting has helped me to relax and maintain my sanity and health. With my husband being so prone to infections, I cannot afford to get sick now. I listen to knitting podcasts for entertainment and company when I am waiting in doctor’s offices or hospital rooms. I’ve even discovered a knitting TV show to watch. I think it’s called “Knitting and Crochet for Today”. God is Good!