March 1st 2016: Heavy Hearts

Hello Friends and fellow Crafters, I hope your week has been well. I must admit I have a very heavy heart this week. My motivation is at an all time low and I'm quite listless as I wait for test results on Cleo (more on that at the end). But I have been finding ways to pass the time.

Cross Stitch
Again nothing this week. I haven't beaded Touching The Autumn Sky which I wanted to do before the end of February and I haven't been interested in pulling out something else to work on. I am still keeping up with the Nashville previews and I believe the actual market itself is now on so it will be interesting to see if there will be any big surprises.

Knitting:
I have completed the Banana Leaf Shawl:

It is stitched with Malabrigo Lace in the Dusty colourway same as the model for the design. It is super soft and squishy and I will be using this yarn again. I need to block it and am waiting on blocking wires. When it's done I will post better pics. I love the look of this shawl paired with blue jeans and a white or light grey long sleeved top for autumn.

I then tried to complete my third and last knitting WIP from 2015, which was the Meristem Mittens. I had knitted one (above) and needed to do the other. Well I just couldn't do it, I was using smaller needles than called for, 2.25mm, as I don't have the right size and it was painful to knit. The yarn was splitting and I couldn't get the lace pattern with backwards yarn overs to come out properly. So I decided to officially 'frog' this project and give up. I was knitting these because I liked them in reality it's too warm here for mittens so I'm not too bothered.

So I was at a bit of a loss as yarn I had ordered still hadn't arrived. The only project I had ready to go was the Coffee Lovers Cabled Cowel (free pattern). It wasn't what I really felt like doing, especially in summer with worsted/aran weight yarn but I was out of choices. so I started and this is where I am at:

 

Horrible photo - I'll do better next time It's BC Garn Hamelton Tweed 1. I think a lot of people wouldn't like to knit with brown yarn - but I do and I like the look of navy/white/brown together. This is knitted on 6mm with worsted weight yarn - quite different from Malabrigo lace! I do prefer lighter/smaller yarns and must remember that. The tension seems so loose in comparison and the needles feel like sticks. I wasn't enjoying this project at all until I came to the cables. This is my first time with cables and - wow it's magic! 


Mail Day:
Some lovely mail over the past week: Yarn for socks!

Cleo: 

Tuesday last week, about 10 minutes of publishing my last post, Jonathan contacted me to say that he had been talking to the vet who has referred us to specialists.

Thursday we took her in to the new place which is right in the city and they kept her in for an ultrasound. They said her intestines are definitely thick and some of her lymph nodes are large too. So all signs are pointing to lymphoma although it could be Inflammable Bowel Disease (but the lymph nodes are distressing...).

Friday, we bought her back in and they took aspirates to check for cancer and ended up keeping her overnight. They said we would probably get results on Monday.

It's now Tuesday and today is our 13 year anniversary. I have a feeling we will find out today and it wont be good.

I feel like I am already grieving for her. In fact I have been for almost a month now since I spent a day researching online her symptoms and overwhelmingly the articles and stories led to lymphoma. It's just hit Jonathan on Thursday. So we both have very very heavy hearts. For the whole month of February she has been very sick, the fact she has been so very ill so long has been the biggest indicator that this is something major. On the other hand I can't believe how quickly we went from a chirpy, healthy happy cat to this, it's such a shock.