This is a Test!

And there's alot of studying to go along with it. The nursing program is a very busy one, with lots of instruction and simulation and LOTS of reading. I don't mind at all and find most of the reading fascinating.
My husband and I drove to Pittsburgh last weekend to celebrate my youngest daughter's 21st birthday. Her actual b-day is this weekend, but apparently it isn't cool to have your mom go with you on your first official bar crawl. Hey, when did that happen?

Stethoscope Sock

Stethoscopes all look the same. Some have different color tubing, but these choices are limited. So, in the clinical setting, you need to somehow mark your own stethoscope in a way to make it stand out. Why not knit it a little sock? It will stay on, but is easily removable to wash.

Using sock yarn and size 2 DPN's, I cast on 12 stitches (the circumference of the scope, including the tubing is 1 and1/4 inches, I was aiming for 1 and 1/2 inches) and join in the round, being careful not to twist. For this little cover, work the first 5 rows in a seed stitch, work 10 rows in stockinette stitch, another 5 rows in seed stitch, then 10 rows in stockinette stitch, and end with 5 rows of seed stitch. Bind off while working the last row. The finished length is 3 and 1/4 inch. I am not sure of the amount of yarn used, I will measure for it soon and edit this post, but it's just a small amount of scrap sock yarn.

Now you have something to make with all of those little balls of leftover sock yarn. It will make a thoughtful gift for someone you love who uses a stethoscope!

First Day at the Hospital

Tomorrow is my first day in nursing clinical. The clinical is the practice we do on real patients! I need to report at 6:45 am in the lobby of the hospital. Tomorrow will be an orientation day only. I worked in an ICU for about 3 years as a unit clerk 30 years ago, but some of my fellow students have absolutely no experience around hospitals and are scared to death! So, if you live or visit the Philadelphia area within the next few months, please do your very best not to end up in a local hospital!(Thanks to free-clip-art.com for the clip art.)

I Can Go!

The nursing instructor gave us the clinical dates on Wednesday night, and I am NOT scheduled the weekend of the KR Retreat!

Now, what knitting projects do I plan on completing for the Friday night Show and Tell?

(Thanks to free-clip-art.com for the clip art.)

Ravelry

Why oh why didn't I sign up when Tanya first mentioned it? Or when Jane listed the link on her blog? (Oh that's right, I was studying and ignoring my knitting life!)

Now I am way back of the line. There are 16,257 people who will get invites ahead of me. The only people I feel more sorry for are the 2,243 people who will have to wait longer than me. (And the number is getting bigger everyday.)

Hopefully the floodgates will be opening soon as the website will be taken out of beta. Then, about 5,000 invites a week are expected to go out. That means I should be able to get on the site sometime in late September?

I want my oompa loompa, and I want it NOW!

(Unbelievable, I had left a post on the ravelry blog just a few minutes ago, asking for any little bit of update info for us starving people in line, and Casey already responded to me via email!)

Ready to be Wrapped

With tissue paper and pretty baby wrapping paper!

Crochet is Complete!

The "Heirloom Baby Blanket" is in the hand wash as I write this post. The pattern came from the premiere issue of "crochet today"

I was given a free copy of this magazine at Stitches East 2006. My friend Tanya had made the blanket the previous summer, and I loved it from the start. The fact that the pattern was thrust into my hands for free was a sign that this project had to go on my "to do" list. I waited (with my fingers crossed) to find out if my niece was having a baby girl as this lacy number is very feminine. Then I rushed to my LYS to buy the yarn. I decided on Plymouth Encore DK in a ballerina pink. I am a believer in using yarn that is machine washable when making something for little ones. I wouldn't want to add "hand wash only" responsibilities to a busy new mom's life.

I will post pictures after the shower on Sunday.

Knitting Retreat 2007

Will I be able to go? I hope to find out next week.
I received the email from Clara about this fall's KR retreat last week while on vacation. The information on the retreat can be found here.
I have been able to get away to the retreat for the last 3 years and have always enjoyed the weekend with fellow knitters and KR members
Nursing school may interfere this year. I have clinical (training in the hospital) every OTHER weekend this semester. As of yet, I don't know if my training weekend will be the same as the retreat weekend. Hopefully I will know soon. Classes start Monday (August 27).


Until then I will dream of the Berkshires and the Seven Hills Inn.

It's a Good Day for a Nap!

Or some knitting.

The rainy weather is a perfect excuse to sit and relax before going back to work tomorrow.
I have spent the day catching up on the blogs I read and watching "Wedding Crashers". I have been icing my left hand as it hurts from the work I've been doing on the baby blanket. (The baby shower is next weekend - only 4 more rounds to go!) Do I dare try to complete another round today? Maybe if I knit something, rather than crochet, I will not be using the same (painful) muscle/joint.

I Almost Forgot

How hard it is to go into a yarn shop and not buy anything!
This morning's walk included a premeditated visit to the LYS here at the beach, Knitty Gritty.
While the shop carried quite a few yarns available elsewhere, (i.e. Plymouth Encore and Cascade 220) I did manage to find one or 2 things (oops, just looked into the bag, there are 4 items!) that I could use.

Sock yarn still doesn't count as stash, right? I bought a skein of Cherry Tree Hill Supersock yarn in Earth. I have enough sock yarn to make a pair for just about all my relatives, but I'm sure I don't have yarn in this pretty red/brick/blue colorway!

(Day 2 of writing this post - my eldest daughter and her little brother arrived to visit yesterday and we went to the beach and the boardwalk. )

I also found a basket full of Lantern Moon Sox Stix in a basket at the checkout counter. Clara (from KR) had written a review on these needles ( go here to read). Who could resist these rosewood DPN's in the pretty bag?

Well, that's about it, except for the Size 1 Addi Turbo Lace needles, and the darning needles in the clever container (I did need something to hold my needles - they were always getting away from me.)

It's a beautiful sunny day here at the beach. A little warmer than the last few days, but there is always the ocean to cool me off. Have a great day!

Morning Walk - Part III

The thought crossed my mind that I should create a collage - "Doors of Rehoboth". This garden door would certainly be included!

Summer Vacation - Day 3

Morning Walk - Part II

Do you know that the sounds of a bagpipe drift down the beach over the noise of the ocean?

This gentlemen willingly turned around for me to take his picture.
No, I'm not in Ireland!

What I Did on Summer Vacation - Day 3

Don't look, there aren't posts for Day 1 and Day 2.
Synopsis : Day 1 - Get There. Day 2 - Settle In.

To me, one of the best parts about being at the beach is a morning walk by the ocean. It acts as a salve on all of the stress points in your mind and body.

Almost Done - 2 Nights and 2 Tests To Go

Tomorrow night is my Physiology final. Tonight is the lab practical exam. So while all of my knitting friends are thinking "knit, purl" my mind is considering the wonders of pulmonary ventilation, gastric digestion and how our bodies produce urine.

After one summer of class, words and phrases like lumen, adenosine triphosphate, myenteric plexus and nonkeritanized stratified squamous epithelial cell don't cause me to stop in my tracks to remember their meaning. Isn't that amazing? I didn't get to celebrate the summer of socks, but I have learned a whole new vocabulary.

And, if I can remember back that far, I think there are a couple skeins of new sock yarn in my closet, just waiting to be knit into comfy covers for feet this winter.

Almost done, two more nights!

The Fascinating Human Body

That is what I have been learning about this summer. Human Anatomy and Physiology.

I go to class 4 nights a week, work MWF, study TR and the weekends.

And I am loving every minute of it. Now, time will tell whether it is school in general, or the nursing program, that is maintaining my interest. But it doesn't matter right now, I am thoroughly enjoying every minute of class, reading the textbook and studying and taking the tests.

So I hope you understand why I haven't been posting to my blog. I haven't been doing any knitting. Once in awhile I pick up the crochet project I am working on for my future grandniece (the baby shower is late August).

Don't forget about me! I haven't disappeared!

Radiculopathy

Cervical Radiculopathy to be exact!

Over the last 6 months, I have struggled with pain in my right hand/thumb that has slowly worked it's way up to my shoulder. I have tried switching the side my computer mouse is used and (gasp!) even stopped knitting for several weeks. I took Aleve, and ibuprofen, used heat and ice. Nothing relieved the pain The pain in my shoulder had gotten to be so bad, I couldn't roll over in bed at night without wincing in pain.

I finally was able to get to my doctor to discuss the problem. His testing showed no damage to the shoulder, no bursa. A trip to the radiologist ended with a diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy Cervical radiculopathy is the damage or disturbance of nerve function that results if one of the nerve roots near the cervical vertebrae is compressed. Now I have a name for it and I don't need shoulder surgery!

Recovery Operation

Just looked at my blog and saw that my last posting was in the middle of March!

That's what tax season does to me. The last five weeks before the due date, I was in the office working every day, including Sundays. The first few days after April 17 were spent taking care of all the people, animals, and things ignored during the rush. You know, little things, like saying hello to my husband, going to the grocery store, doing wash, and petting the cat and dogs.

Oh, and I also had to finish all of the coursework for my class that I hadn't the time for when I was working. (I did end up with an "A" for my efforts, though!)

There's still lots to do at the office. I have to bill everyone for the work I did, and those whose returns were extended are clamoring for them to get done soon.

It's so hard to get back into the swing of things.

The Middle of a Storm

The title of this post could refer to the snowy sleet that has been falling since around 9 this morning. But it actually refers to what life is like for a CPA during the second week of March. I got a little peek of spring when I received this gift from my in-laws this week. Thank you Suzan and Nelson for the beautiful flowers on my desk!

A Pretty Sight

Something pretty to look at on my desk courtesy of my beautiful daughters. Thank you!

These are much more pleasing to the eye than the piles of tax documents and forms on the other side of the desk.

Last Week's Storm

As the warmer weather starts to melt the hardened ice, I post a few images of the first major (and hopefully, last) winter storm of 2007.