Yes, Odessa is done. Finally. And just in time too. Mom is losing hair rapidly 
and I am taking this to her this weekend. I could’ve had this done earlier. But I made a stupid mistake last week when I was feeling frustrated. More on the frustrating situation in a bit. The stupid mistake happened after switching to DPNs. I thought I could use the tail end to identify the beginning of a round as usual. WRONG! The
stitches shift with this pattern, and the tail end shifts with them of course. After a few decreasing rounds I thought I made a mistake somewhere due to the position of the tail end. I started picking back because I couldn’t see where the mistake was. (DUH! There was none.) Then I dropped a stitch right next to a YO and couldn’t figure out how to fix it. I was tempted to just rip it and re-knit. Instead I left it alone for two days and was able come back and figure out the fix. Phew! It is now blocking. Not sure if I like the yarn choice though. Originally I wanted a cotton blend for warmer weather but decided to go for a wool blend for elasticity. I didn’t know at the time but it turned out to be the yarn called for in the pattern. I bought Rowan Cashsoft DK. I can’t describe the color. It’s not pink, and it’s not lavender. Sort of in between. One ball is more than enough for the hat.
Now. About that frustrating situation. I can go on talking about this for days, but I’ll try to keep it short. You can probably guess, it’s mom-related. Not just about her condition, but the most frustrating part is about the kind of help she gets at home. My sister, Lily, who lives with mom and not working (Lily, her husband and kid are all living at mom’s.) volunteered to care for mom full time (with compensation of course.) Here are what happened recently:
- During the last doctor’s visit I went with mom, we found out that she wasn’t getting enough food and water. Mom ended up going through re-hydration that day. How could this happen when three other individuals live there with her? Especially when one of them is being paid to care for mom full time?
- I visited mom last Saturday and found out that she had forgotten to take her meds for 2 days. Nobody thought to check on her. And it happened again a couple of days later.
- Something happens every time Lily takes mom to the hospital. I go to the consultations. Leaving the less complicated visits for Lily, who lives with mom and they are only 5 minutes away from the hospital. But somehow she just can’t get things done smoothly. She would be late, or get the priorities all wrong and end up staying hours longer than necessary. No matter how careful I instruct her with these visits. There was one time that she left mom’s purse at the hospital after the chemo. $900 was missing when she picked it up. Something is fishy about that. I won’t elaborate.
- More than half of the time when I visited mom I found Lily up in her room, leaving mom by herself downstairs.
OK, I want to stop right here. I just don’t think she is sincere about taking care of mom. Unfortunately this might be another scheme of hers to not work but still get paid. She’s done things like that. But whatever this is it can’t go on. My other sister Angela and I are looking to find someone to stay there full time to look after mom. Meanwhile I am checking up on mom everyday. I’ll also be there for every hospital visit. I’d feel better doing that myself.
:: sigh ::
Onto happier things. I received several packages. Hmm… Am I doing “retail therapy”? Well, these are necessary things. So there! I got a package from Blackberry Ridge. Two hat kits to make more hats for mom. Four Corner Hat (the colorful one) and Swirling Leaves Hat (Vines in the Evening). I can’t wait to get started on these. But I think I need to find something more suitable for warm weather fast. Something using cotton blend yarn. Any idea? Oh, I also got yarn samples for all of their yarn.
This also came in the package. Yes. Spider Queen! I wasn’t kidding when I said I wanted to knit this shawl. 
Although the yarn, Thistledown Singles, is not the thinnest I’ve ever seen. It will definitely be the thinnest I’ve ever knit with so far. There are 4 hanks of this. Yes. HANKS! That means I have to wind them into balls first. Not to worry. Other things arrived too.
Yes. I also got my cotton cards, ball winder and vertical swift! I love my swift. And my winder and swift love each other too. The winder sits on top of the swift nicely. I can’t wait to see how this is going to work. I will take a few photos of it in action for an update.
I also got a craft light. But you don’t need to see that. Just something to make my knitting universe a little brighter.
One thing at a time….
Odessa is beautiful and looks to be so soft, you know, your Mom going through treatment might be feeling on the cool side so maybe the warmer, soft wool will be a good thing. I realize everyone is different but I’ve known a few folks who had gone through chemo and they couldn’t seem to get warm enough.
I made the Shedir using the Rowan Calmer, which is a cotton blend, and since I love working with wool… it didn’t feel as nice for my hands, but lots of people out there just love it and it is soft. Also, the Knitpicks Shine (cotton blend) is very soft and machine washable, comes in DK and worsted weights.
I love both those hat patterns, inspires me no end, they’re quite beautiful, and that yarn is YUMMY!
Wow, the Spider Queen! How exciting! The yarn is beautiful too.
How clever is that with having the ball winder on top of the swift! that is just too cool. I can’t wait to hear how it works!
Jason, I’m so sorry to hear the problems about your Mom’s care…(seriously, where’s my magic wand!), I won’t even begin to express the feelings I’m experiencing toward your sister’s behavior. I apologize. I just have a very hard time with any level of neglect and your Mom is needing the very best care right now, plus I’m sure it doesn’t help her emotional state right now. I’m so glad she has you fairly close to stop in and see her, and go with her now to the hospital…hopefully you’ll be able to find a compassionate and competent person to care for her.
I’m just sorry that you and your Mom have had to deal with it…
I include you and your Mom in my daily morning chats with the universe and I hope it gets better very soon.
jeezelouise, sorry that was so long, didn’t realize…
Dear Jason,
I’m sorry to hear that you are having such difficulty arranging for reliable care for your mother. I think you are right in trying to find another person to provide the primary care to meet your mothers needs and you are doing the right thing in calling and checking on your mother. I hope your mother has an Advance Health Care Directive in place in case you need to help her out with medical decisions or you need to co-ordinate her medical care. With all that going on I’m glad to see a little retail therapy! I think your Moms new hat looks great. Nice and Soft and pretty pastel color. I really think you deserve all the lovely yarn, the good equipment (love that swift) and the Spider Queen is going to be a great shawl for you to knit. I just know you can do it because you are doing harder things every day! I’m sending good thoughts your way!
What’s that thing in my living room? I go to Germany and the house gets full. Hope you are organizing your knitting room.
Sorry to hear that your mum isn’t being taken care of properly. I hope that things will look up soon!
And boy-o-boy, those are some gorgeous yarn!
I just got a ballwinder and swift last week…and had been winding up a storm (yeah, all my scrap yarn are now wound up into nice mini-yarn-cakes!)
Oh, that hat looks wonderful!!!! Any girl would love that shade of pink!
I’m sorry about your woes with taking care of your mom. She knows that she is loved and, ultimately, that is all that matters.
I’m inspired by those hat patterns, Jason! Your own hand knits, the visits and concern for your mom are signs of a loving, dutiful son.
the hat looks great!!! i keep going back and forth about making odessa. i am sure you mom will love it, and all the other hats you have lined up for her.
i can’t wait to see the swift in action!! i have never seen one like that, and what is this i hear? you have an actual “knitting room”?!?!?
Oh, Jason, I feel for you. My mom is going through some health issues of her own. Unfortunately, I live a few thousand miles away–but through her insurance company and a social worker at the hospital, she was able to arrange a nurse to come by three times a week–maybe that’s something you could look into? Good luck–I know it’s very difficult when your parents get sick.
I loved knitting the Spider Queen.
And your new swift looks fabulous!
I don’t feel like I should comment on your sister Jason. Less said the better…
I hope your Mom likes her hat though, it’s lovely.
You will love the thistledown singles, I made the Legends of the shetland seas in it, it is so nice.
Quite the spree you have been on there. I must admit to similar recently.
Take care sweetie, don’t get stressed about your sister.
K
Marianne, thank you. I don’t mind long comment.
And I know what you want to say about Lily. But I am trying to be nice to her. Don’t need her to be in a bad mood and take it out on anyone. As long as I constantly check up on mom, Lily feels it necessary to do a good job of caring for mom. Maybe she is realizing her mistakes. Maybe she just doesn’t want to embarrass herself. Whatever the reason is, it is good for mom at the moment.
Calmer must be a thin Worsted weight? I can’t imagine using an US3 for Worsted. Although I did use an US4 on another hat. So maybe it’s not that different?
Jane, thank you. It’s difficult discussing medical issues with mom. She chose not to know too much about her condition. I am not sure how to approach her to talk about preparing for anything that could happen. I should ask the doctor for advise.
CB, blah blah. Why are you naggin’ on my blog?
Elemmaciltur, thank you. She has been feeling a bit better lately.
I love my ball winding station! Makes life so much easier. 
Audrey, thank you. Boy I sure am glad that I know about the two sides of you.
By the way, congratulations on the job!
Linda, thank you. I just hope that I do make a difference for mom.
Chris, thank you. Swift post coming up!
And the room is really a shrine/craft room. But it is true. It’s all mine. 
Alice, thank you. All the best to your mom, and to you. Glad to hear that she is able to get assistance from the hospital and insurance company. I should talk to someone at the hospital about finding assistance for mom.
You don’t think that Spider Queen will drive me nuts?
Kathy, thank you. I think I know what you want to say about Lily. Like I said to Marianne, I am being nice and positive to her so that she doesn’t get moody and take it out on anyone around her. I am learning. Learning to do what’s best. Not reacting emotionally.
I wonder how long it will take to wind 4 hanks of Thistledown? Funny. That’s my biggest worry right now.
Marianne, it makes sense now. Calmer is DK weight. Not Worsted. I checked Yarndex earlier and it listed Calmer as Worsted. It just didn’t make sense. Glad that I checked directly on Rowan’s site.