Knitting catch-up

Well, I have been knitting up a storm—all small items, mind you, suitable for someone with a chemo-induced short attention span. I don’t have the persistence for socks or longer projects. Still, these following items are satisfying and good efforts for someone who lives near the Rockies where it can get very chilly.

I don’t have nearly as much hair as I had, but I think I have knitted myself enough hats now so have been concentrating on scarves unless a hat pattern really calls to me. My twelve rounds of chemo—I finished last week, hurray!!!!—caused my hair not to fall out in clumps, but to stop growing and to fall out in strands and become very thin. I don’t know how guys do it with short hair. I have to wear a *very becoming haha* hat at night to stay warm.

Anyway, let me show you some photos of some of my fo’s during the past couple of months. At the urging of my knitting group, I have begun a side-to-side cardigan, but that won’t be done—or even photographable—for many moons, so we’ll ignore it for the moment. I only have a few rows done right now.

Not in any particular order:

Will’s & Lindsay’s hats (nephew & niece):

Blue Shape It Scarf, using some lovely Interlacements yarn that a girlfriend gave me when I was diagnosed with stage IV cancer. I added another denim-colored yarn to it to achieve gauge. This is my favorite scarf because of the color and because of the care of my friend Linda. It is like being wrapped in her love and kindness.

Lace scarf, in progress, but I am loving the result with the Dream in Color Yarn in color Some Summer Sky.

Magic Scarf, which I love, although I’m having trouble keeping it in place on my shoulder. I need to devise a small clip to attach it to my clothing underneath. 

Taos hat, which I also love because it doesn’t smash my hair.

It’s from the same Crystal Palace yarn as Taos scarf, which is nearing doneness but isn’t there yet. 

I have also knit a Just Enough Ruffles scarf  in Dream in Color, color Giant Peach for my daughter, but she is sick and won’t visit me until she is better, due to my not being allowed to be around sick people in my weakened and pathetic condition. I will post a photo of the scarf when she visits.

That’s enough for now. The neuropathy in my fingers has taken some joy out of knitting because I can’t feel the needles and yarn very well. But I plow ahead, hoping for a miracle when my fingers will once again recognize the tactile joy of soft, flowing yarn and the accompanying smoothness of bamboo moving at a rhythmic and satisfying clip.

In the meantime, I have managed to write this post while my adorable cat sleeps practically on the keyboard. When he moves a bit, he tends to delete much of what I’ve written, or perhaps a photo or two, so it has been an effort in persistence to get this written and posted in any legible form.