Yarn Along

Progress is being made on the Tsu Sweater.  I have other work to do, but this keeps coming back.  My Post Cardigan has been written and edited, and 2 eyes on it still has leaves mistakes sometimes, so I’ve decided to get a few testers going on that one.  That process is almost done, but one of my testers found a rather large mistake, and I’m working to get that all sorted out.  The number of times I’ve declared to myself “It is done!” has now become numerous, and now I’m ready for it to be done.

The pink sweater still needs finishing work and buttons, and needs the pattern writing to get going.  Both those patterns are at the point where they don’t need me to knit, so that’s where the Tsu Sweater has been coming in.  Knitting sorts out my brain, and nothing gets me stumped on a pattern faster than not having something to keep my hands busy as I’m working out the numbers.

This lace has such nice rhythm to it.  I’ve tried it on myself and on the dress form, and I couldn’t be more happy with how it’s coming along.  It’s at the point where the stitch is memorized, and I can take this with me wherever without much fuss.  I love this point of a project.  It might be my favorite.

For reading, I have a few things going.  I’m still going through One Thousand Gifts.

I’m also working my way through some back issues of Taproot that a friend of mine gave me.  (This one has a knitting pattern in it.  It’s by Carrie Bostick Hoge and uses Quince yarn…my favorite.)  This magazine is really growing on me.  It’s a nice balance between enjoyable, restful reading with poetry and prose, as well as patterns and projects…that I will likely never do.  There was one issue with a bunch of canning jar labels, and a link to print off more.  I really liked those, so I might do that project.

I may or may not be sketching an idea to send into the magazine as a submission.  We’ll see how it develops.

Also, I’m thumbing through a new resource I picked up.  Aromatherapy for the Healthy Child is a book on essential oils, which is my new curiosity.  Usually I’m the weird one in my circle of friends and family that picks more holistic things, but apparently I’m a little late to this party.  When questioning some friends of mine “What’s the deal with essential oils?  I hear everyone talking about them!”  and I got an earful from both friends and family with how they use them to promote wellness.

From what I gather, they are more multi-purpose than drugs, but they are not intended to replace drugs. They help build the immune system, and can fight of many infections and ailments.  I know some people are more sensitive to drugs than others.  I have found that whenever I take some medication, I get the full range of any possible side effect.  I’m noticing Solveig inherited that trait from me, because even a minor antibiotic a few months ago put a rash all over her body from head to toe, and dealing with the whole range of side effects from antibiotics is sometimes more of a pain than the illness itself.

So while I’m not throwing out the medicine cabinet in our house, I’m attempting to build up an arsenal of natural remedies to at least try before we reach for the medicine.  I’ve been all over websites and blogs, trying to get a handle on what essential oils do, and finally purchased this book, which is specifically targeted for children from newborn to teens.

I think it’s a pretty good book, so far.  I think sometimes it was written by lawyers.  Many passages say what you should give for a certain ailment, and it’s often followed by “and then immediately seek medical help.”  That is an important phrase because yes, we should seek medical help.  However, it goes after ailments like “bug bite” or “sunburn.”  I like knowing what essential oils help with bug bites, but I don’t see myself taking my kids to the doctor every time they get one!

There’s some good information with helping soothe growing pains, which Silje seems to be getting a lot.  It has some great recipes for clearing up stuffy noses and soothing upset tummies.  So while I’m not reading this book straight through, I’m thumbing through just seeing what sorts of things are available.  I’ve purchased some basic essential oils, and have been blown away by how quickly they deal with a headache or stuffy nose.

Silje and I are also experimenting with making some shampoo and cleaning things with oils, though those recipes aren’t found in this book.  We’ve made some shampoo, and we’re still debating whether or not we like it.  We may need to tweak the recipe, but it sure smells good!  I also made a carpet freshener using oils put into baking soda and sprinkled over a carpet before vacuuming.  I’ve always used the baking soda trick, and was astonished at how much better it was with the oils!  I’m loving that.  My house doesn’t smell like dog anymore.  I’m really sensitive to perfumes, so the fact that I can get something that smells great and refreshing, but doesn’t have the perfume-headache effect on me is quite fun.

Going through this book, I’m keeping a growing list handy of all the oils I would like to add to this arsenal.  I tend to get laryngitis every winter, so I’m eager to try this new remedy if it hits again next year.  I’m trying to mark pages of sicknesses that seem reoccurring in our house, and see if I can at least help with those.  I’m hoping I won’t have to use any of them until this fall, when schools go back in session and it seems the whole town gets sick.

Knitting and reading with Ginny again.  Her blog is such a sweet place to visit.