KnitterlyNotions

If you are familiar with brain weasels, you know how much they suck. If you aren't, you're lucky. For those of you who haven't heard the term, it's those voices in you head, usually caused by anxiety or depression, or perhaps some unpleasant childhood programming of internal dialogue. The brain weasels have been out in full force here, breeding like bunnies. I've fought them before and I know what they look like, though I haven't had quite so many before. I finally called Teri and enlisted help in banishing them. I got some lovely brain weasel silencers. There are still a few rattling the bars of their cage, but they're not sexin' it up anymore with gay abandon. In the midst of the brain weasel orgy, the knitting has fallen by the wayside. Basically everything has. I see what I should be doing, but to actually do most of it... wasn't happening. I washed dishes, and I fed the kids and Jerek. Sometimes I fed me. The rest of the time, well. Now it...

Summer is ending. :) Tiri turned 5, and she started going to school all day, and riding the bus! Here she is after she got home on her first day. It was pouring  when I took her to the bus stop that morning, so not a lot of Kodak moments at that point. It was drizzly when she got home, but warmer. December is coming, so I'm working on the baby hats for the donation in Freddy's memory. I'm wavering between donating 3 times 36, or 4 times 36. For sure, I'm taking a set to Sacred Heart, Luther Midelfort, and the hospital in Rice Lake. I'm also tempted to take a set to the hospital in Black River Falls. I haven't been back to that hospital since Jerek and I left there with an empty car seat after he handed our baby boy to a stranger to take him for his autopsy. Here are some of the hats I've made for December: Today I bought three plastic shoe box type storage containers, one for each for-sure hospital, and am starting to sort them. It...

I don't really have much to say, so here are some pictures from the last few months. A donation to the hospital in Hudson, WI. And this is one of the card I bought. Originally it was going to be for the big Freddy Project Memorial Donation but I got 500 so am putting them on hats that are going to hospitals I don't typically donate. A preemie top. I've been playing around with more of  Marianna's Lazy Daisy Days  patterns too, mostly hats (though the preemie top above is one of her patterns as well.) Oh, and here are the last two donations I took to Sacred Heart. That's about it for now. :)

Hellooo.  :) Well, I feel like my head is about to drop off, from what I assume is a stress headache, but besides that here I am again. Carried out two more baby hat donations since last blogged: This group went to Rice Lake on April 8th (I love that Lion Brand Ice Cream yarn! It's what the pink/yellow/blue/white one is made with, and the white/yellow/blues one is crocheted with.) And these went to Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire on April 19th The hats in back are all made from the same yarn, a skein of Mary Maxim Starlette I was set on working up. (I did, and most of the hats are either donated or boxed to be sent once there's postage scratch.) The two matching striped ones in front are I Love This Yarn Stripes in colorway Agean. The pink/purple/grey striped one is a Deborah Norville yarn, can't remember the name. Anyway, I am now an actual volunteer at Sacred Heart for hat knitting, etc. I'd like to sew some rice socks too but not sure when I...

Hello all! :)  Life is trucking along around here.. First, Jerek got a different job (again). He's driving again. So far, so good.  Second, I found another place to donate! The hospital in Rice Lake, WI. :) I took them this package of lovelies: I should take them some more on Friday as Jerek plans to take us over there again. We shall see. My knitting efforts are quite all over the place right now.  The small humans continue to grow at an alarming rate. Tiri went on her first field trip a week or so ago. It was just t the library, but still, it meant she got to ride on the school bus. She's been quite obsessed with riding the bus for about the last 2 years. Fritz can walk farther and farther unassisted. He'll be 1 next month. ::sob:: Last weekend we went to Govin's Berry Farm to see the baby animals (they have an open house type event for several weekends each spring for this purpose. Tiri held a lamb and went on a pony ride. Fritz just watche...

I am freaking losing my mind over here. I have a massive care of startitis, coupled with a complete lack of inspiration on WHAT, exactly, I actually want to knit. This is not a good combo. I've been traipsing around Ravelry and there are so many groups that need things. So many people are hurting in some way or another. I could start any number of things and be able to find a place for it. The problem is I don't know who or what I want to do. I have an package ready to mail to Matthew's Gift, so that's off the table for just now. I needed a break from thinking about the lost babies. I know how those mothers feel. I've been there. I feel guilty that I need to step back, but I do. I've been reading about Pine Ridge Reservation again. Do a bit of research, it's awful there. There are three groups on Ravelry that serve PRR: Bundles of Joy, which is a lot of baby knitting with occasional other goals thrown in. For the Children of Pine Ridge, which serves ...

I found a sweet pattern for a baby burial bunting that I got actual loss mama recommendation for. It's the  Knitted Burial Bunting pattern  and one of the moms in HAPL on Ravelry said she got one for her daughter. She said it was just right. I'm taking that recommendation to the bank and am making a bunch of them. First one is meant for Rochester Methodist Hospital in Rochester, whenever I get there again. Second and third ones are for  Matthew's Gift  (link goes to a previous blog post that I did about them, which contains pertinent links). I am about to cast on my fourth one. They're rather addictive. I'm also working on a crocheted bunting that is similar to these knitted ones. I'm making up the pattern, noting what I'm doing, and I will probably put the directions up here. There aren't too many burial item patterns, or perhaps I should say there should be more patterns. Especially patterns that are nice for boys. Lace and frills are...

I discovered a new charity. Well, I knew about it, but I hadn't paid too much attention to it. Recently though, I read through it all and I now have Tiri's little froggy bank repurposed as a postage saving bank. :-) Here is the  Matthew's Gift Facebook page  and the  Matthew's Gift Ravelry group . Matthew's mom is putting together memory boxes for lost babies, with gowns and hats for the babies and keepsakes for their mothers. The photos of her first donation are lovely. I would have loved to get a box this beautiful and personalizes when Freddy was born. I've been knitting and crocheting, of course. I'm working on a  Knitted Burial Bunting . Adorable little thing! I made one that I plan to take to Rochester at some point, and now some for M'sG. If you have the heart for it, please check out Matthew's Gift and contribute what you can. <3