With Apologies to Bette Davis

Maybe I should have called this post "Knitting Through the Pain". But I hate blogs that are big bitch fests. I am loathe to use mine as a vent for whining. But frick, getting older just licks, doesn't it?

Until a few years ago, I really only had one major health issue: the aftermath of my 1983 car accident. I became accustomed to daily pain meds, joint issues, and limits to what I can do physically. And as brutal as it sounded at the time, I got some sage wisdom from my mother, who, upon hearing me complain about my aches and pains, told me: "You aren't dealing with anything that isn't faced by everyone; you're just dealing with it earlier than most." Ouch, but true. And when someone else pointed out, in the face of my continued kvetching, that his cousin, who lost a leg in high school to cancer, could walk across a room on crutches carrying a full glass of beer, implying that maybe I could do more than I thought I could, I decided to renounce the whole "if I'm miserable, I want everyone around me to be miserable" line of thinking, suck it up, and focus on what I could do.

That worked for many years, but I gotta say, after reconciling myself to my physical limitations resulting from that accident, I was naive enough to think that would be my health "albatross". You know, my cross to bear, health-wise. But hey! Turns out (duh!) other systems are crapping out, too. It seems like every freakin' day something else hurts! It's getting to where just sitting on my butt and knitting means extra vicodin, fer cryin' out loud! What's up with that?!? If I feel this bad at not-quite 44, what is 64 gonna feel like? So, I'm with Bette Davis, who said: "Old age ain't no place for sissies!"

That being said, I'm working on a couple of new projects. Since the Valentine Elf Topper is languishing (lost my mojo on that one), and I still want a new hat to wear to dinner on Valentine's Day, I started another hat on the 6th, Love Lies Bleeding VD Hat, shown here in progress.

I'm using 2 different kinds of COLORBOMB Creations handspun in this one: Lockalicious™ and TnT Plus!™, both in the 'Love Lies Bleeding' colorway. The former is uncarded kid mohair locks (ooh, shiny! ooh, silky!), and the latter is alpaca and the same locks spun together. Only 5 yards of the lock yarn, but enough for a hat band on #9s. Should finish it up by Thursday, in time for romance at Abruzzi's.

I also started a new handbag, which I'm knitting for the felted bag contest at Handmade Memories. This is The Big O, using the Hoop Purse pattern by Maggie Pace, from Felt Forward.

Started on Friday at Midnight Madness, and knit on #10US Addis using Lamb's Pride Worsted in Onyx and Limeade, I finished the half of one side last night. Already realizing that it will take more yarn than anticipated (that's what happens sometimes when you sub a yarn.) Spent a good part of the weekend working on it, but I have plenty of time as the contest deadline isn't 'til March 31. I'm thinking of changing the embroidery called for on the front; the pattern uses a floral spray to embellish the bag, but I'm thinking something more tattoo-flash-y. We'll see...

Tags: COLORBOMB Creations, WIPs, hat, bag, knitting, pain