Yarnivorous

G'day all! Just a quick one to say I'm home from Sydney. It was lovely to spend time with my husband. We are much happier together than apart, I think. (Blurry us in front of the Endeavour replica. Oh my - what a sad end for the original! Read the link...) I'll be blogging the trip on Victorian, on the move (linkie later when I've blogged). For the nonce, I'll just say that Sydney really turned it on for me - it didn't rain at all on me! (Sydney likes to remind me that its annual rainfall is somewhat more than Melbourne's, despite how it may feel.) Lots of sunshine, though not that warm still but inside I did wander around without a cap on - BLISS! anon!

G'day all! Daffodil Day has come and gone again. It is the annual fund raiser for the Cancer Council. I've been passionate about supporting the Cancer Council for quite some years now. When I worked at AXA, I was a charity captain (for the Heart Foundation) and helped run quite a number of charity stalls. I always made myself available for as much Daffodil Day fundraising as I could manage. Well of course now I am a recipient of Cancer Council aid. Quite a bit of the information I've received this year has been paid for by the Cancer Council (and therefore by people who've helped raise funds and also govt money I believe). This year, I bought a pen, a shopping list pad/pencil and a keyring. This one little word on the keyring practically brought me to my knees. I never realised how powerful hope is. I tear up just looking at it. Part of this cancer journey is the fear that I will die. I know I'll die sooner or later but I sorta thought it would be in another 40...

G'day all! My blogiversary contest is now closed. We had 16 entries. (Hmm, guess my blog is not too popular, eh? I've seen contests with a thousand entries! Yikes!) Anyway, my random number generator picked number 13. Lusks , come on down! You are the lucky winner of your choice of the little pinwheel quilt, the shawl or the yarn/tops. Let me know what you'd like! (PM on ravelry or email is fine.) It is DH's birthday today but he is a long way away. Not too far but far enough. I'll see him this weekend. I've been arguing with myself about how to get to the airport. Take the train and the bus? Drive? Taxi to the airport? It is ridiculous that we do not have a train to the airport but the govt sez we don't need one. Yah, right. $100 for a taxi from here to there. OUCH! If we had a train and it was normal fares, it would cost about $6 for a two hour all zones ticket, which would get me from here to there. But no, we can't have a train cos ...

G'day all! I have been a very naughty and remiss blogger. Ages ago, way back in July, I received the most wonderful gift. I haven't blogged it cos I was trying to get "nice" shots of it. I've given up on getting "nice" shots. Here's a couple of less nice shots that don't show enough of it (and btw, be careful when typing shots - i sits right next to o on the keyboard....). Do I look happy or what? And it came with a cap, which I crammed on my head over the striped hat I was wearing when I opened the box. A big thank you to all my friends at Green Planet Yarn in Campbell, California. I miss hanging out with you guys! I've been much too slow in acknowledging the wonderfulness that you sent me. But I am appreciative! Hardly a day has gone by when I don't warm myself under its woolly goodness. And all of the blocks came with swing tags saying who knitted them. I have to finish getting pics of all the blocks - the weather here has bee...

G'day all! I've now been blogging for six whole years. I think that deserves a crikey! I only pull out the crikeys for special occasions :-) (Actually, it was yesterday but it is still the 20th of August in the States so that is good enough for me. 8-) In honour of this momentous occasion, I think I need to spread the love around. Yep, this means giveaway time! What have I got to give away? Well, what about this lovely little quilt? It's big enough for a lap and plenty big enough for a cot. All cotton outside, including thread, and bamboo/cotton batting on the inside. Patterned fabric is Lila Tueller's "Eden." (you can see the back of it here ) But that is not all! If I get more than 100 comments on this blogiversary post, then I will add another TWO prizes to the offering. How about this rather lurid handspun, handknitted shawl? BFL and silk, hence the brightness of the colours. And the third prize will be 200g of anything you like (spinning fibre or...

G'day all! I'm a bit grumpy tonight. Not going to Sydney. Stupid seroma. It won't lay down and be good (I don't want it to die, I just want it to not puff up so much I can't do my exercises). Feeling crabby. Poopy stupid seroma. I have to create filks of songs for it. My, my, my, seroma! Why, why, why, seroma? Listn to me, (and to me!) while I tell you (yes I drain you) of the seroma that blighted my life (lala-laaaa) (If anyone gets the second one, I will be very surprised - DH will get it because I've sung along with the song quite a few times but gosh it is an oldy) I still haven't taken pics of my knitting. I was horribly busy today - spent too much time spinning this morning, then had to dash up to the library with a book that I thought must be horribly overdue cos I couldn't even find it on our accounts. Ahem. No, we had accidentally stolen it - it wasn't checked out properly. They said thanks for bringing it back, I said "can I b...

G'day all! Alas still no pics of my knitting! If I had laid it out today for a pic, it would've been blown away and I'd never see it again! It has been (and is) amazingly wild and woolly outside - if only there was fleece blowing around but sorry, just wind. And it is c-c-c-c-c-c-cold! (North Americans will laugh when I say 10C without wind chill is c-c-c-c-c-c-cold but it is cold and a little damp and the wind chill brings it to fridge temps. I've had the little heater on all day and it has barely managed to get things warm - I've got on a singlet, a tshirt, a long sleeve tee, a fuzzy jacket, my rain coat, a pair of trakky dax, my flannel(ette) leisure pants and socks and slippers, plus woollen hat with cotton liner and I'm only just managing to stay warmish.) I am rather looking forward to a short break in Sydney, where it will be sunny and around 18C. That will feel very warm to me! Sydney is warmer in winter than Melbourne (hello! We are further south...

G'day all! Well what an interesting week it has been so far. Yesterday DH was ok with the world and all was good. My seroma was deflated and felt ok. Today DH was lonely cos his work is in the middle of a restructure and also his group are going on a trip and everyone was running around like headless chooks. Except Nathan. And I couldn't get our hot water service relit after it went out, so I had no hot water and was very unhappy indeed about that! But our elderly neighbour came to the rescue - he is the chap who engineered the original ones of these hot water heaters. After I had spent hours trying to get the blasted thing going, he got it first try. Grrr. It obviously doesn't like a woman's touch. DId I mention that it was less than 10C as well? And my seroma re-inflated at an incredible rate - it feels like I've got half a lemon inside my armpit skin. I have to go back to get it looked at again. It is uncomfortable at either end of the scar too and I r...

G'day all! I am bopping around to the happy tune of "My Sharona" done with new words. Yes, indeedy, I have a seroma (an accumulation of lymph/extracellular fluid that accumulates in empty spaces where tissue used to be) in my armpit. Most armpits curve inwards, mine bulges outwards. It is rather uncomfortable. It feels very like when your clothes bunch in your armpit, only you can't just pull the offending sleeve out or take that item off. It does rather hurt sometimes. Last night I had to sleep on my left side until it drained itself a little. And of course it puffed up on the weekend, as nearly every single one of my complications has. GRRR! So tomorrow I annoy the bc nurses again and then probably toddle off to the docs to get it drained. I can't do my exercises properly and if I can't do them, I can't have radiotherapy and I may get lymphoedema (effectively water retention in the operated arm). I'm alternating bopping around to My Seroma (o...

G'day all! A few months ago, I joined the international shawl swap on Ravelry. A couple of days ago, I received my shawl. Isn't it pretty? And beautifully knitted and blocked. It is Evelyn Clark's Prairie Rose Lace Shawl, knitted by KateB in Jaggerspun Zephyr in Aegean Blue. I am very pleased with it. (Though that is not my most flattering shot 8-) :-) I am working on my partner's shawl. It won't be anywhere near as ethereal since she lives in Scotland and would prefer a practical shawl. Still puttering along here. I think the armpit is getting better but it is still pretty crabby and I get the most amazing zings from it every now and then. It feels like it is 10 times the size of the other armpit even though I can't feel it - I just get pain signals. But when I look at it, it looks normal enough, not particularly puffy or anything. It's just grumpy. DH leaves on Sunday! Today we have to get him some new clothes and in particular, shoes. We can...

G'day all! I'm most of the way through this part of the cancer journey. There's more to go, but I truly hope that the worst is done. Today I got my drain out. Very happy about that! Hooray for getting the drain out cos it was getting pretty annoying, lugging around a bag of ew. (Actually it wasn't that oogy at all, cos after the first day it was pretty much just extracellular fluid/plasma looking straw coloured stuff, but it was annoying!) Plus they took the dressings off. I just have tape over the armpit wound. The boob scar is very neat and tidy. Dunno about the armpit though - it is still disguised. Wasn't happy about having to wait for over 2 hours - the surgical registrar I saw had to perform a "procedure" and it put her well behind time. Got the results of my pathology too. I am in a very mixed mind about the pathology. a) they got all the lump out with clear margins, though they were scant on one side b) it was still cancerous (high grade = ...

G'day all! Every day I am getting a bit better. Hooray! Today I went for a walk to the post box and back and didn't really need to sit down afterwards. OK, it is only a 600m or so walk but yay me! Now if only I didn't have leaky lulu dripping from my armpit, things would be grand. LOL I just have to wait a couple of days. Whilst I was in hospital, I knitted a sock. I started it the day before I went in - I thought I might be a bit loopy and starting would not be a good idea. Well I did manage to knit some sock after my surgery, like at 1am the next morning when my vertical and horizontal hold started working again (I have no idea what they had given me but every time I opened my eyes, the whole world flicked upwards and/or sideways. Not fun!). I finished the sock, even wove the ends in, before my sister appeared to pick me up. Would you believe that this yarn made this sock? I would! pattern: my own, even though it looks like Leyburn, on 2.5mm knitpicks yarn: 80:20...

G'day all! I am home! They sent me home today cos I am doing well. My cancer has been cut out of me. Things are a bit odd, as one might expect a couple of days after surgery but I am quite well. The wounds sting a bit if I move around much and one feels like it is dripping once in a while (and I have a drain) but it isn't really, cos it a) can't drip and b) I have no feeling in that area so it is just some weird nerve thing. They kept plying me with paracetamol and voltaren at the hospital cos they want to make sure I have no pain but I prefer a little pain and no head weirdness from being plied with all sorts of stuff. Anyway, the pain is no worse than a minor cut with a band aid on it. It is nice to be home. Nutmeg has harrassed me and sat on my lap for 5 minutes! Very unusual for her. Hospital stay was ok. I have a new pair of thigh high white stockings - they are compressive to reduce the chance of getting DVT (blood clots). Didn't get much sleep though, ...

G'day all! Terrified now! Even a little giddy feeling. In twelve hours I'll probably be prepped for surgery. I am so ready to get rid of this thing but at the same time HOSPITAL! Yikes! It is all very exciting and challenging. I've only had one overnight stay in hospital and that was for my wisdom teeth extraction (and was before I was GF and DF and before my mum died and I was still living at home, so she looked after me). Don't have anyone to look after me now, well apart from DH and my siblings and my MiL, but it isn't quite the same cos most of them don't live with me. And DH is not very good at this stuff - he makes me look like a dedicated nurse! And I am so not a nurse. I don't know how long I'll be in hospital - it could be overnight or it could be for three days. I have packed everything I can think of that I'll need - clothes, knitting, a book, a couple of quilting and knitting mags, some munchies, one thing in a tin that will be ...