The Animal Hats...Update #1

   The responses I got to the photos of the Fox Helmet I made for Maggie's granddaughter has encouraged me to make some of those animal helmets for the shop. So I've been busy knitting and I have 3 critters growing in my project bag.  
    Of course, there's another Fox. All the parts for the fox are finished and I just have to sew the hat together.  I tried something different when I knit the ears and I think they look a little different...even better, maybe?  I was able to find black bulky yarn at Walmart this week and the outer ears is now done with that.
   The 2nd critter in the bag...and the 1st new one...is the Rabbit.  I got the last of the gray bulky

Rabbit Helmet waiting for its' lining (11/1/19)

yarn  Walmart had on display and a pale pink for the inner ears and nose.  It took a couple of tries with different needle sizes to get the nose and cheeks to look right.  (Jeff says he's never seen a rabbit with a pink nose.)  The eyes may be a little too high but this is the 1st one and once Super Glue dries...that's the way things are!     edited 11/1/19
   The 3rd critter bears little resemblance to the picture with the pattern. 

This helmet needs a lining, too. (11/1019)

That hat wasn't a helmet but a skull cap and I really like these helmets with ear flaps much better.  Anyway, the 3rd critter is the Beagle.  Zoey was nice enough to pose for it most of last night...I studied her ears...their shape, where they're attached to her head and how big they are...as she napped in the chair next to me while I knit.  This beagle isn't tri-color like Zoey, more like Snoopy ...black and white and I'm hoping at least one person looks at it and yells out "SNOOPY!" (or at least thinks that!) If that happens then I know my design is spot-on!  Don't know if it looks like a beagle but this one does look like a dog!  Jeff still wants me to try to do a tri-color one but I'm not that good!  edited 11/1/19.
   All the animal helmets are hand-knit on US 10 1/2 and 11 needles using Lion Brand's Hometown USA,  a super bulky 100% acrylic yarn that is machine wash and dryable.  They are lined with 100% cotton flannel fabric.  The eyes are wiggle eyes super glued onto flat buttons that were sewed in place first.  All 3 helmets have I-cord to tie their ear-flaps together.  And the Fox and the Rabbit have a yarn pompom on the the ends of the cord to represent their tails.  (The beagle has just the I-cord.) The patterns are all based on what I found in the book "Animal Hats" by Vanessa Mooncie that I got thru the MidYork Library system.  Of course, I made 'adjustments' and 'alterations' to the directions but that just makes these hats more original.
   Since Walmart had such a poor display of bulky yarn the other day I made sure I got enough so I can make another of each of these 3 critters in case they sell quickly.  (Keep those fingers and toes crossed, ok?)  I think they may make cute Christmas presents and I know one young lady who's getting one for her birthday. (Maggie's granddaughter's, Nora, birthday is tomorrow and I didn't know that when I made the hat for her!)
   This posting was edited and added to on Sat., 11/2/19.

A Fox For A Friend!

   My college friend, Maggie Schanz, has helped me a lot this fall.  She's been stopping regularly to pick up hats and mittens, and sweaters to take to the shop AND to bring me big bags of yarn that she finds at the thrift shop.  She is really keeping me going!  Maggie had mentioned how much one of her granddaughters like foxes so when I saw this helmet I decided to make it for her.  It was really a challenge.
   

I found the pattern in a book called "Animal Hats" by Vanessa Mooncie, that  was in the Midyork Library system.  It is knit in 100% acrylic bulky weight yarn on US 10 1/2's and 11's.   The ears are done in 2 pieces with the outer ear knit with a lighter weight yarn (I used worsted) and sewed together and sewed onto  the head.  The nose is knit in the same yarn as the outer ear.  The eyes are flat wiggly eyes super glued on to a flat button that was first sewed into place.  (I even used a black Sharpie and outline the wiggly eye on the button.  That made it stand out more!)   When the helmet was all together I lined it with cotton flannel.  The pattern called for using fleece...or even knitting a lining...but I thought the flannel was nice and soft and didn't add too much weight to the helmet.  (The helmet unlined was heavy enough!) And since I know there are 2 Singer sewing machines in this house but couldn't tell you where, I realized flannel would be easier to sew by hand.
   I had to enlarge the lining pattern.  The pattern was drawn on a grid of 3/8" and the directions said to enlarge it to fit or use a copier and enlarge it 200%.  I just drew a grid of 1" and drew on the pattern.  Then I held my breath and cut out the pieces from the flannel. (I wasn't sure what I was doing so I had bought 1/2 yard and the clerk at Walmart didn't like the way the last clerk had cut the flannel so she gave me a nice 'healthy' 1/2 yd.  When I got the lining laying flat to the curved inside of the helmet I stitched it around the cast-on edge.  That took a couple of times (stitch it around, rip it out, re-pin, restitch) to get it right!  Then I had to cut and sew the linings for the ear flaps.  In the end it was all nice and flat and snug to the helmet.  
   The pattern called for an 8" twisted cord at the end of each ear flap but I decided to make I-cords

instead.  I picked up 3 stitches from the cast on stitches in each ear flap and worked my I-cord from there.  (That way the I-cord was part of the ear flap and wouldn't have to be sewed on.)  The white pompom sewed on the other end of the I-cord represents the white tip of the fox's tail. I hope the pompoms hold...mine tend to explode!
   Maggie stopped over this morning after her husband's PT at LF hospital and I gave her a bag of hats for the shop and this hat.  She was surprised and pleased!  She gave me a bag of yarn! 
   (It looks like a Fox Helmet will be going to the shop next week...and maybe a Rabbit and a Beagle.  The Fox got a great reception on FB and gave me the encouragement to make another...and it's friends!  Too bad they'll miss Halloween but they'd make great Christmas gifts!)  10/29/19

Knitting and Old Friends

   I had a really nice visit with an old friend, Maggie Schanz, on Friday.  She stopped by to pick up a bag of hat and mittens to take to the shop for me.  She surprised me with a bag of yarn that she got at the thrift shop...I think its the SPCA shop in Cooperstown.  It's not the first time she found yarn for me there but this time it was the best!  That teal 

ball of bulky yarn is definitely calling to me...'make 
me into a hat!' it's saying in case you don't understand yarn.  I went on Ravelry.com today and found a pattern for a child's tam that called for bulky so I think that'll be my next project. I think I'll use the outside color from the Sweet Roll in the bottom row on the left for the band.  It matches almost exactly!

  But before that, this morning I had cast on for another child's watch cap/Fair Isle hat, this one with hearts worked in around the hat.  I'm using another one of the Premier Sweet Rolls I got yesterday in my order from Herrschner's.  This one is called 'Bubble Pop'.

The hat is finished. 

I just have to decide if I want to put a pompom on it...probably...maybe just pink and white?  Then it will be time for mittens.  These sets will fit 3-4 yr olds.  I'm enjoying  working with this Sweet Roll yarn.  I like the feel and the way it knits up. I'll post a photo of both sets when they're finished.
   Maggie brought Jeff a sugar-free apple pie that we're both enjoying.  I noticed that a 'large mouse' had taken quite a hunk out of it for his midnight snack last night.  She also brought a bag of apples.  I think I may have to make an apple crisp.  Yesterday I made a carrot cake because I found a Duncan Hines box mix on sale at Hanneford's last week.  I was a little disappointed.  The cake didn't rise very much.  Jeff said my 9 x 13 cake pan is really bigger than that (it is) but other cake mixes fill it up.  I think the 'large' eggs Jeff bought weren't really 'large' at all.  Oh, well, we're eating it any way.  In fact, between the carrot cake...with cream cheese frosting, and the apple pie...that's about all I've eaten today!  Oh, yea and a big bowl of Cheerios for breakfast.  Go near the cake and both dogs materialize by your side.  (Last night I used the cake with a nice dollop of frosting to give Fanny her Benadryl.  Zoey got the cake and frosting without the antihistamine.  Since that was just after I had to take another tick off of Fanny, I felt she deserved a treat.  Zoey felt she did, too, just on general principles.)  
   My hat and mittens were greeted warmly at the shop.  Hope they sell quickly!  I'll probably mail the 2 or 3 sets I get done this weekend.  Oh...I was surprised in the shop...one of the knit toddler dresses I did sold yesterday.  I really enjoyed those dresses.  One was pink and one yellow.  The yellow one sold.  At last...something besides a hat sold!
    

Keeping Busy

     I've been keeping busy knitting, reading and going to doctor's appointments lately.  I got my 3 Christmas sweaters finished and Marion took them to the shop last Saturday. Haven't heard if any of them have sold yet but that would have been too good to

be true!  After I cleared up all the mess left over from those sweaters I decided to take a mini-vacation and read a book, one of Tasha Alexander's mysteries.  Her storyline is usually pretty snappy and eventho her books are written in 2 voices...alternating chapters...if I don't care for one of them I skim those chapters.  (They're mainly background to the main story.)  Then a college friend, Tim, sent me a copy of David McCullough's TRUMAN.  It's very interesting and I'm trying to read a chapter every day.  I never knew that much about Harry and now I think if I had been old enough to vote, I'd have voted for him. He was basically a good guy who tried to do the right thing.  Tim recommended another author, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and I got 2 of her books from Midyork.  I'm half-way thru her autobiography, WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR, and I like her style.  He's reading her bio of Lincoln.  I've got that, too, but I want to finish TRUMAN first.  As an old History major, I've read a lot of bios of Lincoln and really haven't found any that I'd want to read again.  Tim thinks this one, TEAM OF RIVALS, is different.  We'll see.  In the meantime I've been working on hat and mitten sets.  
    I know it's only October but I'm cold (as usual, thanks to the Warfarin) so I'm starting early.  I got 1 1/2 sets finished.  The first has a tam and is done

with Premier's Sweet Roll in Gelatio Pop,

the 2nd one, the one I'm working on now, has a watch cap and is done with Red Heart in Fair Isle Derby. 
The mittens aren't finished yet...hopefully, I'll get them done tonight.  Both sets will fit 2-3 year old's.  I think the watch cap needs a pom pom.  What do you say? They are both are 100% acrylic yarns, machine wash and dryable and self-patterning.  The Fair Isle Derby

was a little more difficult to use because the
color runs are not the proper length for toddler-size items so I had to do a lot of 'cut and paste'...leaving a lot of ends to work in...and the yarn split a lot, something Red Heart usually doesn't do.

The Sweet Roll worked up beautifully...so well I went to the Herrschner's  site and ordered 4 more balls of different colors!  They were on sale for $3.99 each and even with sales tax and shipping they were cheaper than going to Walmart and buying the Fair Isle off the shelf!! Maggie, another college friend who lives near Cooperstown, is going to stop here Friday and get them to take to the shop. 
    I have a Black Sheep sweater finished ready to go,too, it's a size 2.  

I guess I better do some more pumpkin hats.  I just called the shop and there are only 2 left!  It's too early in October to stop doing them! 

   Last week Jeff had an appointment with a regular doctor arranged by his Diabetic nurse because his blood sugar was so far out of control.  (His attending was away for 2 weeks so we got to see a Dr Rule who was very nice and thorough.)  He said Jeff was doing quite good and his blood sugar was going down slowly.  He even laughed when we told him about Jeff walking out of the hospital!  Jeff gets to see the cardiologist next Wednesday and his regular attending doctor next Friday.  Then I had an appointment for my yearly mammogram and was pleasantly surprised.  The machine was new and did not squeeze as much as the old type did, the office was holding a month-long raffle for a nifty tote bag that all mammography patients were automatically entered in (and what knitter doesn't want/need another tote?), and at the end of the visit they gave me a gift bag as I left the office.  It had a pair of black and pink stripe socks, a pink fluzzy throw...perfect to use when I'm sitting by the window reading or knitting...and a black and white hat and glove set (and the gloves fit!).  It was a very nice visit and I'm glad I went...I really want that tote bag!!  Today I got to go for an INR (finger stick/blood test).  I've been trying to lower my cholesterol...eating Cheerios or oatmeal for breakfast and Cheerios for snacks...and I just learned by reading the package they are rich in Vit K...something I'm suppose to avoid.  I was surprised to be in range so I get to go back in 2 weeks and if I'm still in range, I get to go back in a month.  (One of the joy of taking Warfarin...blood testing for clotting ability.  That's something Jeff doesn't have to do with Pravix.)
   Fanny, our older, white dog, brought something in on her early yesterday morning that she didn't like.  She kept rubbing her head on the furniture and running from room to room barking and crying.  She jumped in bed with Jeff and tried to rub off whatever was on her head.  Then she tried it again on my bed but I got her out of there and shut the door on the bedroom so she couldn't get back in.  I gave her a couple of Benadryl and cleaned her ears and she slowly calmed down.  I eventually went back to bed.  When I got up a couple of hours later I felt something on my breast.  At first I thought Zoey had walked on me getting back into her 'spot' but the pain got worse and started to itch.  I checked it out and found a small tick!  I remembered reading on Facebook how to remove ticks from dogs with liquid soap so I tried it and the thing came out.  It was a deer tick.  I told my nurse about it today and she checked it out.  The site isn't infected...just sore...and she told me to keep an eye on it.  If I start feeling sick (flu-like symptoms) to go to Urgent Care and let them do a blood test.  This is the first time in the nearly 50 years I've lived here...with dogs...that I've ever gotten a tick from one of them!  If this is what was bothering Fanny I totally sympathize with her.  It hurts...still!!
   Jeff found a pork butt at Hannaford's on sale last week that he put it in the crock pot Sunday night, filled the pot with veggies and we had a delicious pork stew.  We invited Ed to come over for supper on Monday (he brought some crusty Italian bread) and I even made a coconut cream pie!  We sat around and visited for quite awhile.  I sent Ed home with enough stew for supper the next day and we still had enough leftover for our supper last night...and some to freeze.  Ed's finally settled in his apartment with his house cleaned out/empty and on the market.  Hope it sells before winter!   
   Well, I guess I've put off long enough working on a pumpkin hat.  I'll never get 2 finished tomorrow if I don't start now!!

Almost Back To Normal

   Jeff's blood sugar is coming down slowly...too slowly for him! Thursday he had another blood test and got the OK to restart the last oral diabetic med he was on before his hospital stay.  He's taken it 2 days/4 times and his blood sugar came down another couple of points.  His Diabetic Educator/nurse, Dora, said she'd give him until Tues or Wed to get the blood sugar down to where it was before his hospital stay.  If it doesn't fall that low, she's going to start changing med dosages.  My cousin Ed came over yesterday afternoon with a sugar-free apple pie but Jeff decided not to have any...yet.  (He really wants his blood sugar back where it was before!)  
   I turned the furnace on yesterday...it was just too cold in the house not to!  I even had the oven on...tried to bake a sugar-free/flour-free dessert...at least it helped warm up the kitchen.  The furnace ran off and on overnight.  It's about 68-70 inside right now but it feels colder to me.  (Thanks to Warfarin, no doubt.) I'm tired, too.  Went to bed around 8pm last night but was up at midnight...Jeff got up to cook his midnight snack!  I woke up this morning around 9am but went back to bed and slept til almost 11am.  I still want to sleep!!  Tension and Warfarin do that to you, too. 
    I sat by the sunny window in my room (after I cleaned off Zoey's nose prints) and finished a book I had been reading while I ate lunch.  Then I started a Black Sheep sweater because the one in the shop had sold.  I've got 3 Christmas sweaters just about

ready to go down to the
shop with Marion this week.  This Baseball Snowman just needs some snowflakes around him and he'll be finished.

The SnowLady is finished!  All 3 sweaters are size 4, raglan pullovers, hand-knit with 100% acyrlic Red Heart worsted on circular US 5 & 7's.  The BB Snowman has a baseball mitt

button at the end of one stick arm and a baseball button at the other.  The SnowLady had knit mittens on her stick arms.  The 3rd snowman needs his arms and mittens, yet, and some decorations on the tree.  All 3 of them have knit carrot noses and french knot eyes.  Their scarves tie around their necks, too!
  Then it will be time to do a few more pumpkin hats before I start some winter hat and  mitten sets.  As long as I'm cold I'm hoping other folks will feel the change in the weather, too, and start buying winter things!  Maybe some booties?!?  A fancy scarf or two?!?  We'll see how ambitious I get.

And Today...

   Today Jeff's blood sugar was really high this morning...just over 400!  I called the Diabetic Educator at Herkimer and left a message for her and for our PA's nurse.  The nurse called me back about an hour later and Dora called back this afternoon. I explained the situation to them and they both had ideas on how to help Jeff.   Hopefully, we'll get in to see our PA in a week or so (before the visit with the cardio/PA in Little Falls.)  Dora's going to talk with the nurse and have her call us back tomorrow and go over his meds.  Jeff's blood sugar came down a few points during the day today...he's back on his oral diabetic meds.  Tonight he took some CBD oil because his arthritis pain is increasing again.  That helped to lower his blood sugar before so it may help again.
  I had an appointment to have an INR done this afternoon.  Actually, I was suppose to have it done yesterday but we weren't home in time for me to keep that appointment.  My INR was back in range and I'll have to have it checked again in 2 weeks. With a little luck it will stay in range and I'll be back to having it checked once a month. (That's one of the drawbacks of taking Warfarin...frequent blood tests.)
  Just before we went to town Maggie and Horst stopped on their way to their PT appointments at Little Falls.  Maggie brought a bag of goodies!  Home made jams and chili, tomatoes from her garden!  Even a skein of Red Heart Soft Baby yarn and some cute buttons!  (There's yarn to make a size 1 sweater & hat!)  And her jams are so good!!! I'd be happy with tea and toast...with her jams...for supper!! 
  Jeff and I ended up having lunch at Burger King (the dogs shared chicken nuggets) between my INR and going to Walmart.  Then it was home.  He sat in front of his PC all afternoon and the dogs slept next to me near by mine.  I still think it will be an early night.

And Then??

   Monday morning Sherry and I went back to the hospital in Cooperstown but we had a hard time finding a parking place in the lot closest to the hospital and we were too late to see Jeff's doctor or be there for his echo cardiogram.  The doctor decided on the results of the echo cardiogram that Jeff needed a cardiac catherization and possible have some stents inserted.  Jeff was not happy with the prognosis.  At first he refused to sign the release and although he finally signed it, he insisted on keeping his DNR order in place.  (Most doctors...especially cardiologists do not like DNR orders!)  The procedure was scheduled for that afternoon and Jeff continued on IV/Heparin and fasting.  

   Just before 2pm the cardio nurses came up for Jeff and allowed us to go down to the catherization with him.  While the procedure was being preformed on him, Sherry and I went to the cafeteria and ate cold fish sandwiches.  (UCK!)  I had a cup of cappuccino, too.  We didn't have long to wait for Jeff to be brought back into the recovery room after we got back to the cath waiting room. He wasn't too worse for wear except his left arm was a little numb and he had trouble raising/moving it.  He managed to hold on to a cup of coffee and we left him sitting up waiting for his promised roast beef sandwich.  I talked to him later that night and he said he felt better.  His arm was working ok and he didn't have any pain.  I was exhausted by 9pm and gave up and went to bed.  I tried to read some more of McCullough's Truman but didn't get far.  The dogs woke me up to go outside around midnight and then we all went back to sleep. 

   I overslept a little this morning and was just barely ready when Sherry got here just before 9am.  I was sure we'd get to see the cardiologist this morning but he beat us there again and when we walked into Jeff's room he had started getting ready to go home.  The cardiologist had OK-ed him for discharge! The RN came in and told him he could remove all the stickers and bandaids...except the IV...and get dressed.  She came back in a few minutes and took out the IV and told him he was first on the discharge list!  A lady from dietary came in then and took his lunch order and then a tech from cardiology to explained how his blood thinner Rx  (Plavix) worked, to schedule a couple of appointments (1 in Little Falls and 1 in Herkimer) and to change his  cardiologist.  (He also explained what stents were made of and how they were inserted...Jeff had 4 done yesterday!)  Jeff stripped the sheets from his bed and put all the dirty laundry in the laundry bin.  Then he walked around the halls for awhile and talked with the guy in the next bed. 

   Around 11:30, Jeff put on his hat, grabbed his bag and headed towards the elevator.  (That's enough waiting!)  Sherry went after him and I headed to the nurse's station.  Jeff made it onto an elevator and was gone before Sherry caught up to him.  When I told the RN that Jeff had left she said 'But he can't!'

I just turned around and headed towards the elevator...so did an aide but he didn't try to follow him down.  
   I caught up with Jeff outside and when Sherry caught up with us we just walked to the car and drove away.  On the way home I called our PA's nurse and told her what happened, asking if she could find out where the Rx would be waiting.  I also called my lab nurse to reschedule the INR I was suppose to have today and when she called me back she was able to help me locate the Rx...at WalGreen's.

   The dogs were definitely happy to see Jeff home again.  There was a lot of jumping and barking!  Fanny had stolen a bag of cheese curls from the kitchen table and left it on Jeff's bed and someone had pulled the window curtain down, bending the curtain rod in my room.  Everyone is happy he's home.  I guess there is never a dull moment around here but I could do with a few less.