Better Late Than Never

Well, DS finally went home on Thursday and is doing much better.  Thanks to strong antibiotics, his white cell count went down to normal in a little over 24 hours.  The doctors kept him on "nothing by mouth" for several days, then a day on clear liquids and a day on soft foods before cutting him loose.  He'll have to stay on soft foods for a while, gradually adding fiber, and finally on a high-fiber diet for the rest of his life.  He'll have to have his first "butt-o-scope" in about 6 months; given the family history, he needs to keep a watch on that colon.

I'm finished the Ribwarmer and delivered it to Dina for BSD at Westside Wednesday.   Now, I'm working on a "Burberry Inspired Cowl" in GGH Aspen yarn.  The label says turquoise but it's really a very clear blue. 

The label also recommends a size 7 or 8 needle.  I'm using 10s and kind of wish I'd started with 11s.  This yarn is a bulky weight, but very soft thanks to the microfiber blended in with the merino wool.  

The pattern has cable-16 twists on every 12th row.  That's right:  cable-16 twists, meaning you put 8 stitches on the cable needle and move them either behind or in front of the work.  Normally, I cable without a cable needle, but not with this bulky yarn and that many stitches.  The fabric is really soft and cozy feeling, and the folds give it a very luxurious feel.  Andy Rooney had a "spa day" on Sunday, so with his newly-shorn coat, he's been enjoying laying under it while I knit.

Oops, time for Sing Off; got to run!  Gotta go watch my guys do their thing.  Rock on, On The Rocks!

A little of this, a little of that

I'm still working on the Ribwarmer in Icelandic from Blue Moon Fiber Arts.  I'm about 2/3 way through the second half.  This goes to the BSD Project and I'm hoping to have it done in time to block it and deliver it on Wednesday Knit Night.  I"m not sure what I"ll do next; maybe another sweater for me.  Or maybe a vest?  I have enough gray alpaca or this one.

Now that DWTS is over for the season, I've been hunting around for something I can watch on Monday and Tuesday evenings while I knit. I tried watching my Knitting Workshop and Knitting Glossary DVDs but I found myself doing whatever Elizabeth was demonstrating instead of what I was working on!  She's pretty demanding, that EZ!  Last week, I watched "Glee" and really enjoyed it.  Yes, I'm a little late to the party, as usual.   Tonight, I'm trying "Sing Off"; so far, so good. "On The Rocks" from Eugene, just performed Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" and did an excellent job. I'll be looking forward to watching them next week.

ToolMan usually talks to DS a couple times every week, plus a couple calls on Saturday and Sunday to talk about whatever game they're watching on TV.  This last Saturday though, it was DIL who called.  DS was really sick and she had taken him to Urgent Care, who sent them on to the ER.  He had extreme abdominal pain, a really high fever, and a white blood count more than double what should be normal.  After tests and CAT scans, turns out he has diverticuloitis and a small rupture in his colon.  He's on mega-dosages of antibiotics and pain meds by IV and was feeling much better by the time we saw him on Sunday.  He's on "nothing by mouth" currently although he might get clear liquids by tomorrow.  He'll be in the hospital until he can tolerate the clear liquids for a couple days and then soft foods for at least as day before they cut him loose.  He'll be on soft foods for a couple weeks at home before he can return to normal diet in about 6 weeks.  Guess I'll have to teach DIL how to make my custard that DS loves so much.