Hey. I know that I’ve been missing for a while (again). In my last post I wrote about my upcoming trip to the cath lab to get a right heart catherization. This procedure involves having a small sensing device threaded into your heart to check (in my case) the internal blood pressure. Normal pressure in the right side of your heart should be about 14mm Hg; mine had measured 44 mm Hg in an echocardiogram so my cardiologist wanted to get a direct reading.
The procedure went well. My pressure measured in the low 20s, which was soooo much better than my cardiologist feared. The number was higher than the last time I had a direct measurement, so my pulmonary hypertension has advanced, especially since I am now on medication to treat my condition, but I’ll take it! It was, once again, a really positive experience and I felt well cared for by all the staff. I was pretty exhausted, hungry, but upbeat on the drive home.
Then I went into a flare… I slept for almost the entire week after the procedure. Seriously, like 12 hours a night and a couple of naps. I had to go back onto daytime oxygen. My hair started falling out again. I was dizzy and exhausted. My joints really hurt. A flare.
This week I’m finally awake again and I pulled out the blanket that I’m knitting. I knitted more hexagons and measured the blanket on the bed. I went out and bought more yarn. I have the hexagons to add another row and the blanket is slowly growing…
I’m really happy with the progress of the blanket, but I have to admit that it is becoming a little boring. I dream of other knitting projects as I sew the hexagons together. I have a serious urge to knit a new sweater in some fabulous colors.
Look at this little topper sweater!! It is called La Prairie (by Joji Locatelli) and I seriously want this sweater. I want to knit in cool colors. Did I mention that I live on the edge of the Great Plains? I long to wind yarn and to cast on and to start knitting those waves and bobbles…
I broke down and bought this kit to knit the sweater online a few weeks ago.
The trouble is, I just have to dream and fuss about colors before I am happy. I’m not sure about the order in the kit yarn. I’m not completely a fan of the middle yarn, and I feel like the lavender should be in the middle. I’ve been digging in the stash and trying to image the finished product with other blends of color…
Here are three more spins on the yarn. I like the one on the left the most, with the yarn fading from dark purple to the light grey at the sleeves and bottom of the sweater, but I’m kind of interested in the middle and right versions. I have to ask myself… which version will have the most flexibility in the wardrobe? Definitely, it would be the first spin on the kit, the version with the light grey at the sleeves.
I also desperately want to buy yarn to knit a Soldatna Crop sweater, and some new arm warmers, and then there are those PICC line covers and hats to get done… Did I mention that I have been looking at more yarn online and dreaming of sweaters with lots of colors in DK weight yarn? I’m totally on a knitting drive, but my wrists are not on board with all this needle action. It could be that I’m not completely done with the flare…
Sigh. Guess I’ll just cast on another hexagon or two…
PS I’m still dealing with shortness of breath and low on oxygen; lung testing happens next month as my doctors continue to sort me out. 🙂
Yarn, Books & Roses 
I always get a kick out of your upbeat reports on what I would consider ghastly procedures, Marilyn. 🙂
Also am delighted to note that as of not very long ago we have been graced with your actual face ! – there she is, the BLZ, and she’s REE-ULL ! [grin]
Your standard of knitting means you’re always going for garments I would’ve run miles from, back in the day when I was still able to knit. I LERVE that Locatelli (who must be your go-to designer) number, and would love to see your version.
Yeah, fer crissake finish Hannah’s blanket, willya ? – no more flares, now ..
Big hug from Downunder
Yeah, I don’t put up my picture very often now because my smile is weird because of (sigh) scleroderma and then there are all of those red dots (telangiectasia) on my face. on the other hand, that’s my face and I’m going to totally own it!
I’m working on the blanket like crazy now because I really want to do the sweater. The yarn is a cotton/linen/silk mix that is nice for summer, so the plan is to get the blanket done first and then the sweater should be done in time for fall.
Also, Hannah is getting a little spicy about wanting her blanket!!
Love the colors – I vote for the one on the far left!
I’m really tending in that direction too, but I’m thinking that I should get another yarn that is of the same construction as the others (the light grey is 2 ply, and the other are hard twist 4 ply). Yay! Yarn shopping!!
Where is it written you have to finish the blanket before doing something else? Take a break and work on something else for a while. I like the colors on the far left also.
I had soooo many projects going I buckled down and finished a lot of them off. The problem with the sweater is that it is another large undertaking that will be hard to haul around. I think that I will do some small easy to carry projects along with the blanket, get it done for summer, and then it will be time for the sweater.
Oh, I am a great breaker of rules. Like, there are no knitting police and recipes (and patterns) are just guidelines…
Well I like all 4 sets of colours but suspect I’d love every skein in your stash. I would change the kit order to have the soft pink in the middle, but honestly all those combos look like winners to me. Hugs to you and those cats, who I’m sure enjoyed 12 hour snoozes with mum.
The cats are really camping out with me for all of these naps. I do try to get up and move to different locations for the naps so we’re all out of bed. It is just crazy, but I finally think that I am out of it.
Soft pink in the middle… I’ll have to look at that too. I’m sure that I’ll change my mind all the way up to the moment when I cast on.
I think that you would like my stash too. Lots of greys, wine colors, dusty pinks and PURPLE!!!
Good to see you looking so positive
Nothing was ever accomplished by being negative!!
You are living proof of that
The anticipation and mulling over colours is an important part of the process, isn’t it?
Seriously, I spend so much time on colors and fade sequences. I’m thinking that I should do some coloring and maybe swatching to work out what colors to do the Soldatna Crop sweater. I go though all the projects of other knitters to see what they did and how it looks for ideas. That’s the creative drive of knitting I think.
Definitely, I love seeing how others have made a pattern, it’s very inspiring.
That is indeed a lovely sweater!
Now, personally, I love the middle skein of yarn! The color combo makes the rainbow colors pop. But… that said, I don’t like it much with the rest of the set. I like it better on its own, maybe in a shawl pattern similar to The Bright Side (ravelry link).
I’m glad that you said that. I have a skein of rainbow yarn that might work with it!
I hope you find a good use for that skein! Because I think in a different situation it will be perfect. 🙂
I hope you throw your knitting rules out the window and start the sweater. I love the prairie and I’m currently obsessed with the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder, so I’m thinking I might need to make the sweater too.
Fun fact: I cannot spell the word prairie. It foils me every time.
I feel that way about the word “reservoir.” Too many vowels!!
Oh yes! That one is really hard too.
Glad you are feeling a little better, though I hope you’re ready to cast on a new sweater soon! I love the colors you’ve chosen.
The trouble with the sweater is that it will impact my wrists more since it is not knitted in the round and I will have to purl, I just ordered some compression wrist braces on Amazon…
I’m so glad your readings are not as bad as feared, and glad you are feeling somewhat better. You have picked out a beautiful sweater, and I love the kit you bought for it! Can’t wait to see how yours turns out 🙂
Me too. I was really sweating the whole “we need to change your treatment and step up the game” scenario that my cardiologist was prepping me for. Yay. He has punted to the pulmonologist and he is now running with the game ball…
I’m so glad it was better than he thought it was going to be. You have a great team on your side!
Oh wow, amazing 🤩 and those colours are beautiful, too!