It’s been a little more than a week now, and so far things are looking up in 2025. Here are the highlights of the week:
That’s right. A new pattern came out for Emotional Support Little Chickies that are just the right size to put into your pocket to take with you on the go. Yay!! I bought some cheap multicolored yarn to make a bunch to send off to the organizations that my community knitting non-profit supports. These guys would make the day at one of the cancer infusions centers, or maybe at Ronald McDonald House, or they can even ride along on the ambulances that respond to mental health crisis calls.
Then a present came in the mail from a sister. A Pink. Zebra. Striped. Furblet. It makes noises. It has one little CoalBear pretty darn concerned…
Isn’t that the cutest thing? I burst out laughing when I opened the package and saw what it was. Mateo, however, is not laughing!
I also have been ignoring the few little knitting projects that were still active at the end of the year. It’s a new year, I need new things!!! I casted on and started a pair of new arm warmers that are coming right along. New is good, right? Look at how bright and happy these colors are.
I kind of used a pattern to get me started on these arm warmers, but after I had looked at the notes to see what size needles were used and how many stitches were cast on I just took off and did my own thing while checking for the size from time to time. I mean, look at those things: how hard does it have to be? If you crave some of your own, those needles are size 4 (3.5mm), I cast on 48 stitches using DK yarn, and when I got close to my wrist (these are knit from the elbow down towards the wrist) I decreased twice to get the stitch count down to 44 stitches before the wrist ribbing. I put a marker in the decrease rows so that I can make the second arm warmer match. See, easy!! But fun. And new.
The other big new is the new car! I took an Uber down to the Subaru dealership the second day of the new year, and after 5 exhausting hours I drove home my new Subaru Forester. Yay! New car is good!! Exhausted and stressed to the max, I made the last turn towards home in the dark of the early evening, and there ahead of me, enormous in the western sky as it just began to tuck itself behind the Rocky Mountains for the night, was the new moon.
It’s been a pretty good start to the year, don’t you think? I went yesterday to get some medical testing done, and everything is looking pretty good. Yay! 2025, let’s do this!!
Yarn, Books & Roses 
Oh my, that chickie is absolutely captivating! Love the colors, and smaller will get me every time. Felines obviously do not appreciate pink zebras (their loss). The arm warmers remind me of my little redbud tree in the spring. And a new Forester! Can’t think of a better way to start the year (says one Forester owner to another). You’re certainly starting the year off right.
I am so happy with the Forester. My Uber ride to the car dealership was in a 2024 Rav4 and I was glad to be able to make the comparison as that was my second choice. The Forester won, hands down! Ok, I was focused on the sound level and the smoothness of the ride, but still.
The little chickie is a really quick knit. That cheap (synthetic) yarn is hard on my fingers, but they are so little that I figure I can make a couple a week without doing too much damage. Today I am listening to my new audiobook and finishing up the arm warmers. Yay. Warm arms for stock show week. 🙂
Marilyn, how the devil can you tell that’s a zebra ??? [grin]
But never mind that, the new car must be a big thrill. You certainly deserve to have your spirits raised to the sky after being T-boned !
Yeah, Mateo is doing a good “old-fashioned look”; but where is my favourite, the elegant Hannah ? I guess we’ll be hearing from her ere long. 🙂
Love the teeny ESC, and I suspect it might’ve been tricker to knit than the larger one. Still looks great but !!!
Tickled pink about the good test results – you go, girl !!!
Have I wished you HNY ? – if not, I do now, me old china plate … a REALLY happy one.
It’s not a zebra, but it does have pink zebra stripes. Poor Mateo is kind of freaked out by it still.
The elegant Hannah has not been posing for pictures lately, but eventually I will get some. That little ESC is much simpler than the big ones and only use about a fourth of the yarn. I’m coming out of the accident with better test results and oxygen levels than before. I think that all the rest helped, but my ER scan showed some lung issues and I started using my lung therapy device again… it obviously helped a lot. Even my heart has settled down.
Happy New Year.
It must be a matter of anything better’s being a biiig plus; and it’s a bummer that the lung issues are there to detract from that. But since your lung therapy device is helpful, that’s another plus – especially as your heart is doing OK.
Extraordinary that the accident brought positives !!!
🙂
There is also a new mass in my lungs that was detected in the CT at the ER; the follow up for that will be in March. I’m not all that concerned as I’m thinking that it is more of the calcinosis lumps that are popping up everywhere. Even if it is the worst case scenario, it will be caught really early, and that it good, right?
Dear Marilyn: one of the very best aspects of your health situation is that you’re in zero danger of having anything overlooked !! I suppose it’s remotely possible that the medicos might not pick something up the moment it shows its head above the ramparts; but YOU will !!!! [grin]
I am very lucky in my medical team, and they are never dismissive when I report new symptoms. It is so good now I can just send an email and they order up the new testing right away with an appointment to follow up.
Imnsho, they are probably learning from you, darlin !!! 🙂
Ha. My pulmonologist did tell me that he learns something new every time I come in for an appointment. 🙂
[bows, waving away fulsome praise]
It is so good to see you getting off to such a bright start
A good start to the new year!
Excellent start to a magical year 2025. Wishing you only the best.
Very good to hear! Nice post
I’m with Mateo, it’s a touch scary looking, but if you find it cute maybe he will warm to it. I’m so glad things are going well so far in this new year, long may that continue to be the case. The chick is super cute.
I love your posts, Marilyn. That chick is sweet and the multiples you’ve made will warm hearts and calm nerves. I’m glad you have a new car and I hope you’ve recovered from the injuries. Great news on the health front as well. May your upbeat 2025 continue on the same trajectory.
Congrats on the new car! And your good test results.
The little chickie looks like fun, and so much faster than the original. I may need some little chickies to go with my Eggatha Crispy!
I made 4 chickies out of the one skein of yarn, and after I checked the yardage I realized that they were about 25 yards each. They are a really fast knit!
What a happy start to the new year! May the months ahead follow suit! Happy driving, especially since your steering wheel is heated, too, along with your seats. Yay!
You ES chicklet and arm warmers are both so pretty! Your new little furblet is so cute, and I hope that Mateo gets used to it 🙂 Congratulations on the new car and the good test results! Hope 2025 continues on like this and gets even better as it goes!
Congrats on the new car! The arm warmers are super happy looking. 😀 And an emotional support CHICKIE? I might have to make one (or a few) of those. The smaller size makes them more likely for me…
Might need to crochet an ES chickie for family members who have been going thru some stress. 🙂
Glad things are turning positive with the new year.
My family members who received a chick really treasure them.