November 19, 2008

Knit Shawl

I made this shawl for my Mom for her birthday. This is the second time I've done the pattern, and I'm much happier with the results. The trick is to keep your tension tight, not loose. And yes, I intentionally cropped my head in the picture to the right. I had a really weird expression on my face.

Anyway, the pattern is Lion Brand's Easy Triangle Shawl.
I used Homespun Yarn in a shade called deco, and size 13 29" bamboo circular needles. I love this pattern, and will be using it with the blue Homespun yarn my sister gave me.








November 16, 2008

Awarenes - November

November is National Family Caregivers month. I couldn't find a ribbon, so I'm posting a great big 'Thank You' instead.
Caregivers are often over-stressed and under-appreciated. We need to remember that they need a break every once in a while, too. My Mom is caring for my Dad as he battles Multiple Myeloma. I try to help out, but but I know I could do a lot more. My Great-Aunt cares for my Great-Grandma who has Macular degeneration. 

There are many things caregivers do - they schedule and attend doctor's appointments, keep track of medications, make meals, clean the house, fight with insurance companies, provide emotional support, putting others needs ahead of their own. Family Caregivers are very important - they represent about 80% of all homecare services. Their services are valued conservatively at 306 billion a year. Their service should not be the only thing about them valued so highly; family caregivers need to be recognized as strong individuals who need care themselves. To be in a position of caregiving for any amount of time is extremely stressful. Support your family caregivers any way you can!

Thank you to all the care-givers out there!

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~Sarah

November 9, 2008

Goodies #2 + Randomness

I promised to show you more goodies, and here they are! Remember the 300 hat project? Colleen at Rabies on My Shoe collected hats from people on the East Coast. She also had some prizes to give away, and I was one of the randomly chosen numbers!!

Here's a picture of what I got:
Lotion, tea, and the prettiest yarn ever! Isn't it scrumptious?!
I haven't decided on a pattern for it yet, so if anyone has one of those 'Oooh, I know the perfect pattern for that' moments, leave a comment for me.
On to Randomness. My friend Sarah tagged me for this. Here are the rules: The rules are: Link to the person who tagged you, list the rules, write six random things about yourself, tag six-ish people by leaving comments on their blogs and let the person who tagged you know that you've written the post.

  1. I drive a standard car. Every time I get into an automatic, I think something's wrong with it. (i.e. the clutch is missing, there's no shifter...)
  2. My favorite colors are any shade of purple, and pale yellow.
  3. Since graduating from high school four years ago, I've been studying geometry, literature, and a few of the great courses from The Teaching Company.
  4. I'm teaching the little boy I babysit how to do a running stitch.
  5. My favorite animals are seals.
  6. I love Sci-Fi movies and series. Right now my favorite is Doctor Who. 
I can't decide who to tag, so if you want to be tagged, leave a comment and consider yourself tagged.

~Sarah