Chronic Illness, Hats, Knitting, Local Yarn Shop, Personal Projects, Whats on My Needles, Winter, Wool, Work, Yarn, Yarn Store

Birthday Tea and Yarn

pacificnorthwestblogger

Hey Everyone!

I am just wrapping up my Birthday Weekend. My birthday was last week, but I work my birthday and the holiday, and took a long weekend after to celebrate my birthday.

Friday was going to the mall day.

Saturday was tea and yarn shopping day. My mom and I went to Portal Tea, which is a local tea shop in the Sellwood neighborhood of Portland. Afterwards we went to Starlight Knitting Society over on SE 52nd ave south of Woodstock. We ended the day with dinner at Ya Hala.

This past year has been a struggle. I have just been trying to function between work, doctors appointments and everyday life with an autoimmune disease that has not been definitively diagnosed yet.

Today, I went to a nephrology appointment. I am definitely over having to go to different doctors appointments and not really getting concrete answers, and just being prescribed prescriptions to treat the symptoms and not really getting to the bottom of what is wrong.

I stopped at Trader Joe’s on my way home, since there is one on my way to/from where most of my doctors are located, so I will stop on my way home when I have an appointment. While I do most of my grocery shopping at work, Safeway and Fred Meyer, it’s fun to mix it up, and Trader Joe’s has different stuff than the other stores do.

Yesterday while I was home, I started on the hat I am making with the yarn I bought on Saturday. I am excited to see how it turns out.

Autumn, Chronic Illness, Fall, Knitting, Knitting Projects, Personal Projects, Socks, Winter, Wool, Work, Yarn

Pumpkin Spice

pacificnorthwestblogger

Hey Everyone!

Today, I finished up the pair of Pumpkin Spice socks I have been working on for the past month and a half.

The yarn is from Arcane Fiber Works, which is a Canadian brand. This colorway is on the fingering weight sock yarn which is 80/20 SW Merino / Nylon.

I definitely needed the change of pace in terms of colors. The Christmas socks I completed in may had hurt my eyes, and seemed to take forever since I let them sit while I had worked on the Advent Calendar Scarf I had made. I also love the colorway. Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the cooler weather, and the colors.

This past month, I have been in an autoimmune flare. It has taken its toll. The meds I am on are working just well enough to allow me to function just a little bit better than I had been, but it has still been hard.

I am definitely trying to stay active in knitting, and not let the joint pain and stiffness in my fingers keep me from my knitting.

Chronic Illness, Knitting, Socks, Winter, Wool, Work, Yarn

Holly and Ivy

pacificnorthwestblogger

Hey Everyone!

Last night I finally finished this pair of socks, that I have had on the needles for about 10 months. I have never had socks on the needles for that long.

They were on the needles for so long in part because I really didn’t like the color combination as it worked up. It hurt my eyes. I prioritized other projects until those projects were done and I decided to just push through and finish these socks.

This past year has also been a hard one health wise. Dealing with an autoimmune disease that still hasn’t been fully diagnosed, while also working a physically demanding job has also taken my attention.

I am glad I got this pair done, and am moving on to a new pair. I have found that we may not love how something turns out, but to keep moving forward, and finish what we start.

Knitting

2024 Advent Scarf

pacificnorthwestblogger

Hey Everybody!!

Last week, I finished up my 2024 advent calendar scarf.

I had opened each days yarn on the correct days this past December, though it took me until early April to finish knitting.

I used the Innsbruck Scarf pattern again for this scarf, as I have liked how the last two scarves I have made using this pattern have turned out.

The yarn was from Bumblebee Acres, on the Coquette yarn base. This yarn base is my favorite from this company, so it’s what I pretty much order all the colorways on anymore when I order from them.

I feel like I say this each time I make one of these, that life happened. Working full time at a grocery store while living with a chronic illness that still hasn’t been definitively diagnosed yet has taken up much of my time and energy. Knitting only really occurs on weekends, days I have doctor’s appointments and on sick days.

Advent, Chronic Illness, Community, goals, Knitter's Talk, Knitting, Knitting Projects, Local Yarn Shop, Personal Projects, Rhinebeck, Social Media, Winter, Wool, Work, Yarn

Life Update

pacificnorthwestblogger

Hey Everyone!

I am sorry it’s been so long since I have posted.

Life hit a few snags, and I needed a break from posting to focus on surviving.

I finished up the outlander scarf. I changed positions and stores in the company I work for back in November, just before Thanksgiving. I started another advent scarf in December. I am still working on it.

I have still had so many doctors appointments dealing with my autoimmune disease. It is still classified as “Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease”. This means I have have positive lab results for one or more autoimmune diseases, but it’s not conclusive for one specific autoimmune disease. For a while I was frustrated with this diagnosis, as I just want answers. I felt like I was just in a cycle of doctors appointments and not getting answers because of how vague UCTD is and sounds. In doing research, I learned that while it may differentiate out, it may also not differentiate out, and this could be my diagnosis, for the rest of my life.

While it is in the undifferentiated state, it is treatable, with the same medications used for the differentiated conditions. Based on my labs and my symptoms I am on two medications for this. One I have been on for a year now, the other I started a couple of months ago.

I have been working full time this whole time, because health insurance and a paycheck are important. I still work at a grocery store, which is still hard, but I am doing my best.

While I was away, my priorities have changed. Going to Rhinebeck is no longer on the goal list, as it involves traveling across the country and being around a lot of people. Right now neither are really appealing as I have been advised to limit being around large groups of people due to being immunocompromised and I just don’t have the energy to travel that far and be on the go for an entire weekend.

I am still in the process of figuring out work, as I don’t (and really can’t) want to stay in it long term due to my health, and I want to be able to pursue other things in the future. That being said, it has been a paycheck and health insurance while I get the health stuff figured out.

I am still knitting, and I will hopefully start feeling better soon. I am hoping to get outside more, especially as the weather improves. I am also hoping that I might be able to go up to Bainbridge island at some point and go to one of the open houses at Churchmouse Yarns.

I am also hoping that Wednesday evenings open up, with a job change so I can find a yarn store to go to a knit night at, masked up of course as per my doctor’s urging.

I am still figuring out how to live as normal of a life as possible while taking care of myself.

Advent, Autumn, Chronic Illness, Community, Fall, Knitter's Talk, Knitting, Patterns, Scarves, Winter, Wool, Work, Yarn

Outlander Unwrapped Update

pacificnorthwestblogger

Hey Everyone!

The past few months have been super busy over here with work, life, doctors appointments, procedures, existing and trying to fit some knitting in.

I feel off the update wagon about half way through my Outlander Unwrapped scarf, as that was about the time my Doctors appointments started up again, and then dealing with nonsense at work, I just didn’t have the energy to do it all.

This weekend, I was able to finally finish up my scarf, tuck in ends and get it washed. It’s currently laying across my drying rack drying.

I love how it turned out, and I got it done just in time for the weather to be cooling off. The warmer weather has been hanging on longer than normal around here. Though it will be cooling off and getting rainy this week.

With this most recent round of doctors appointments, I definitely feel like I am now finally getting some answers as to what is wrong with me. I have a preliminary diagnosis and started a general treatment that covers two of the main autoimmune diseases that I have markers for.

Knitting has been a bit harder lately with my joints but I am keeping at it, and trying to keep using my hands so I don’t lose the ability to knit, which is one of the things I love doing.

Autumn, blog, Chronic Illness, Community, Fall, Knitter's Talk, Knitting, Knitting Projects, Scarves, Social Media, Winter, Wool, Work, Yarn

I love this Community

pacificnorthwestblogger

Hey Everybody!

I know it has been a bit since I have posted. I am still working on my Outlander Unwrapped scarf, and have been making slow progress this month.

September has been a busy month dealing with the chronic illness I have, that still hasn’t been diagnosed. This month I have had two doctors appointments and two procedures, with two doctors appointments this coming week. Albeit these two upcoming appointments are in October, but they will be within 30 days from the first one of this group of doctors appointments. It seems like I have a ton of doctors appointments all together and then a little bit of a reprieve before doing it all again. It is also mainly the same doctors in the cycle, and feeling like I am getting nowhere, except more invasive procedures.

This month I had a second abdominal CT scan, as well as a bone marrow biopsy about a week ago. I am still healing from the Bone Marrow Biopsy, so my right hip and leg have been sore this whole week. I also had to go to work this week, so I haven’t had a break from working freight despite dealing with a chronic illness and having had a biopsy.

This weekend has been all too short. I finished up another section and colorway of my scarf. I have two more to go until I am done. I just haven’t had the time or energy to take pictures and post about each one.

I went back to my instagram and realized the last post I had made was about a month and a half ago. in that time I have had two colds and all the doctors appointments and procedures on top of working full time.

One of the things I love about the knitting community is that others in it also deal with chronic health conditions and understand the struggle to function, and how it impacts their day to day lives.

Autumn, Chronic Illness, Fall, Knitter's Talk, Knitting, Knitting Projects, Scarves, Socks, Whats on My Needles, Winter, Wool, Work, Wraps/shawls, Yarn

Through the Stones

pacificnorthwestblogger

Hey Everybody!

Last night, I finished up the “Through the Stones” mini hank of yarn. This was the eleventh mini hank of the kit. I am slowly getting towards half way done with my scarf.

This section took a little longer to complete as I chose to spend some time in the middle of working this section to finish up my Rocket Pop Socks that I shared yesterday. Since I finished those socks up, my focus is back on my Innsbruck scarf.

I am still not feeling great today. Though I am feeling a bit better than a couple days ago. I am staying home from work again tonight to rest. Getting sick (or having the nastiest allergies of my life) while dealing with a chronic illness that a never fun, and it wipes you out. So, it looks like more knitting will get done since that doesn’t take much energy for me.

Today, has been much cooler than the weather we have had lately. It started off cloudy this morning. The 10 day forecast, is saying that our highest highs are only going to be in the low 80’s. It is looking like the tide is turning on summer and Fall may be on its way. The light has been changing and has been looking more autumnal lately as well. I am so ready for that.

Beach, Chronic Illness, Knitter's Talk, Knitting, Knitting Projects, Patterns, Socks, Summer, Whats on My Needles, Wool, Work, Yarn

Rocket Pop

pacificnorthwestblogger

Hey Everybody!

The past week or so, I focused on getting my Fourth of July socks done.

The colorway is called “Rocket Pop”, from Bad Sheep Yarn, on their sock weight yarn.

This yarn reminded me of the popsicles I have seen since childhood and that we carry a couple different brands of at work.

The second sock had sat for a little bit as I dove into my Outlander Unwrapped project. Though I decided earlier this past week to get these socks done. I finished the second sock up Saturday evening.

I also really didn’t have it in me to work on my Innsbruck Scarf while I wasn’t feeling so great. The past few days I have had some kind of upper respiratory issues. I don’t know at this point if it has been the worst allergies I have ever had or the puniest cold I have ever had. The jury is still out on that. That being said, I have felt crappy enough that I stayed home from work tonight as I have felt pretty crappy and have needed to rest. I will attempt to go to back to work tomorrow. the past couple weeks at work have been a lot, and I have had to push myself harder than I really should with what I am dealing with, but you have to do what you have to do to hold down the job you have. Yes, changing jobs and fields of work is very much on my radar, especially since I recently hit the three year mark with the company I work at. The weekend that marked my three years with the company, I took a long weekend and went to the coast for a day. I had a great day, even with the rain.

Advent, Chronic Illness, KnitPicks, Knitting, Knitting Projects, Local Yarn Shop, Scarves, Socks, Winter, Wool, Work, Yarn, Yarn Store

Murtagh and Young Ian

pacificnorthwestblogger

Hey Everybody!

I knew I hadn’t written a post yet about finishing up “Young Ian”, but as I was looking at my posts, I realized I also hadn’t written a post about “Murtagh”

Murtagh is the first one of the two I finished after drums of autumn.

Then it was Young Ian.

The past couple of weeks have been busy, and I haven’t the greatest. I had a long weekend, where I went to the beach one day.

And then work has been busy since I have been back, and have had to push myself too hard. We have also had smoky hazy skies where our air quality has been bad, which has contributed to my not feeling well.

This week, I have been working on the second sock in the pair of Fourth of July socks I am working on, trying to get them done. So I have been working on projects kind of in rotation.

I will be posting more as I get more done.

I also got the yarn and pattern for another project, which should be super easy.

It’s an easy scarf and fingerless gloves pattern from Churchmouse Yarn.