After entering my yarn yardage on Ravelry and downloading the totals to an excel spreadsheet, I finally have a more tangible number of how much yarn I have. Here are the totals:
Counted yardage of full skeins: 53,073 yards
My Guess of Grand Total, including uncounted odds & ends: 58,000 yards or 33 miles
That is a lot of yarn. Wow.
PS> I finished another WIP tonight. Yay! Finished:4, Remaining: 12
So, I have this problem with starting lots of projects all at the same time, and then never finishing them. I usually like to have a couple of projects going at the same time so I can keep one in my purse, one at home, one in the car, etc. I knew I had a lot of unfinished projects lurking in various hiding places, but until I actually sat down and counted all of them did I realize the severity of my problem.
Apparently, as of 9 PM last night, I had 16 works-in-progress (WIPs). 16.
After feeling ashamed at myself on the inside for several minutes, I managed to make a list and set my mind to finish these projects before I start something else. Someone I found through Ravelry was starting a contest on her blog to motivate people to go as long as possible on finishing up WIPs without starting anything new. Nothing like a prize to motivate me to do something. So my goal is to at least whittle down the list of 16 to a more manageable and sane number without starting anything new. I’m going to be realistic by saying that I don’t think I’ll be able to finish all 16 without starting something new, but I’m optimistic that I can get the list narrowed down substantially.
So I guess you could say that I have a strong case of Finishitis (definition: insaitable desire to finish projects to the point of either insanity or completion, whichever one comes first).
Last night I managed to finish one project after I made my WIP List, and I finished 2 more today. Currently my tally is: Finished–3, Remaining–13.
Many jobs that Mochimochi Land citizens undertake are unknown to the human world, but none is as elusive as the Bookshelf Structural Integrity Teams (BSIT). These teams of highly trained experts have one mission: to maintain the structural integrity of bookshelves. But not just any bookshelves, oh no. Not all bookshelves need the assistance of BSIT.
Beginning Trainees start appearing on shelves to help uphold corners when piled too wide with books. Once the Trainees are in place, more experienced Team Members are needed when the shelves begin to bow under the weight and strain of books stacked too high. Pretty soon, a whole team of experts is necessary to uphold the structural integrity of the bookshelf, allowing the human to maintain an exorbitant amount of books on shelf without worry of damage or disaster.
BSIT specializes in young adult and children’s books collections, since they are usually the most colorful books and BSIT members can blend well into the background. They are also known to work with knitting book collections, since they share a special affinity with the craft.
In this rare photo, the top-secret team of Mochimochi Land citizens is seen on-the-job, using special techniques to reveal them despite their high-tech camoflauge.
A close-up reveals one of the newest members of the Bookshelf Structural Integrity Team–Reading Rainbow Cloud–hanging out amongst her favorite books, happily raining imagination and creativity.
The afghan is my variation of a pattern called “California Sunset” in a Leisure Arts booklet. I used Caron Perfect Match in Purple and Lavender. Finished measurements were approx. 40″x60″, including garter stitch border. 
But my favorite thing about this afghan is that the back looks just as pretty as the front, yet completely different:
So lately I’ve been making a lot of plush, mostly from Mochimochi Land in preparation for the second annual Mochimochi Land Photo Contest. I really want to win this year, so I’ve been knitting up as many as I can. I had actually been planning on making some anyway, but a photo contest and big prize is great incentive. Plus, they make great projects for the summer time when it’s too hot! So here’s what I’ve made so far:
I’m buried in stuffing.
Yes, I’m finally done! I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts in English Creative Writing Summa Cum Laude from Arizona State University on May 9th, 2008 with the Liberal Arts and Sciences College. Here are some pics of graduation:
Now that I am done, everyone has been asking me what I want to do. My answer to that question is complicated. I am a writer–writers do not get paid salaries to just sit at a desk and write whatever. So for now, I am going to continue working at Michael’s Craft Store; my one year anniversary is June 1, and I have an opportunity to get a promotion, so I’m staying put for now.
I am going to take a year break from school to work on a writing project. If in one year I do not have the bulk of a novel, then I will consider going to grad school; but if in one year I have a good part of a novel done, then I’m going to focus on finding a publisher. For those of you who don’t know, my area of interest is young adult fiction, mainly 6th through 12th grade age category.
I will also be working on designing patterns for my newly opened Etsy Shop. Stayed tuned for more patterns and one-of-a-kind pieces for purchase.
Mochimochi Land has become my favorite go-to place for cute knitted amigurumi. I was so happy when Anna finally took me up on my offer to help test-knit for her. Luckily it came during my spring break, so I was able to whip up these stackable cats in no time at all: 
As soon as my mom saw the pattern, she said that they were hers before I had even made them! I was going to go with a blue/purple scheme, but since they were semi-“stolen” from me, I went with pink shades instead.
I made the little kitty first, and we all took turns passing him around and having him sit on the arms of our chairs. Even our cat Chloe took a liking to the little one, rubbing her face on the face of the pink kitty every time we say “love on kitty.”
I think the white one turned out to be my favorite, partly because she’s just the right size–not too small, not too big–and she has the sweetest face. She also has a “hello kitty” look to her, which I’m sure is any cat’s hero.
Lastly, I like the burgundy one because he is a pillow in the shape of a cat. He’s quite squeezable and squishy, necessary qualities for plush in my book.
This trio now proudly sits next to our TV stand in our family room, easily accessible and enjoyable for everyone. 
I think this has become my favorite pattern from Mochimochi Land so far. I usually am the type of knitter who only likes to make a pattern once–I have so many patterns that I want to try that I have to limit myself–but in the case of these cats, I’ll be making plenty more. I already have yarn picked out for a set for my sister and I’m sure I’ll have to make a set for myself. I’m thinking about going down a couple of needle sizes to make them even more compact.
The end.
PS>Two papers, an in-class essay exam, and five days til graduation!
So the color for my sister’s cancer is lime green. I am now stocking up on numerous skeins/hanks/balls of lime green yarn, all waiting to be made into lime green awareness stuff. The first thing I made is this lime green beret for myself: 
I love berets and I love this beret. I started and finished it yesterday in time to wear it today. I got tons of compliments and it is my first awareness knit to wear around. This is my new favorite hat.
The pattern is a simple K2 P3 ribbing band, then Rnd 1: YO, k2 tog; Rnd 2: K. I actually saw a hat with this exact same pattern in Target, so I’m feeling proud that I made something that’s almost the exact same thing as one in Target for much cheaper.
My sis is doing great. She came home and is much happier to be home. I making her a giant granny square lapghan in lavender and deep purple. She loves blankies and needs plenty of them since she’s going back and forth between home, the clinic, and the hospital. Plus we have to wash them more frequently.
My thing to make right now is giant grannies. For whatever reason making grannies is really comforting to me right now. It’s a simple enough pattern that I don’t have to focus on what I’m doing, yet my hands are busy enough to help settle down all the millions of thoughts I have right now. I think giant grannies are going to be a part of my sis’s cancer battle (maybe fundraising in the future or something).
Oh, by the way, I graduate from college in TWO WEEKS!
I posted earlier last week about my sister’s diagnosis, and so much has happened since then. I won’t post all the details here, but I will say that the last four days have been the most difficult days that I have ever faced in my life.
My sister had an appointment on Thursday with an oncologist, which we thought would be a consultation and turned into a full diagnosis of an aggressive, fast-moving form of lymphoma. Her condition was worse than we expected and the initial shock devastated us. Heather proceeded that night to cut/donate fourteen inches of her hair in order to prepare for going into the hospital that night, the only preparation we had time to make for her hospital stay. After the initial shock of cutting her hair, she has settled into her cute new hair style and found it to be necessary for her hospitalization.
On Friday she started the day with a bone marrow biopsy, which proved to be painful and traumatic for her since it was not done under sedation. She went on to have a catscan and extensive blood work after the placement of a permanent PICC line. The doctor’s initial inclination was that the cancer was quite advanced and required an aggressive treatment. That evening at 6:30 she began her first dose of chemo. Her emotions were high from the trauma of the testing and the fear of the chemo. Luckily the advancement of technology has provided drugs that help prevent nausea from the chemo (she’s not constantly throwing up like in the movies).
Saturday proved to be a much better day. She was more prepared emotionally for her next two doses of chemo. We also received a full classification of her cancer: Non-Hodgkin’s T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma with underlying Leukemia. Translation: All 600 lymph nodes in her body are affected with cancer in them, but the good news is she only has three lymph nodes that are massive; the rest are less affected. The bone marrow has traces of cancer in it, but is not completely consumed with cancer (this is where the leukemia classification comes in).
With most lymphomas, patients usually develop a tumor mass behind their chestbone–the catscan revealed that Heather does NOT have a tumor mass at all. In fact, none of the organs in her body are affected with cancer, which is absolutely amazing! The other amazing thing that the doctor can’t explain is the fact that her bone marrow is still producing; most patients who have this type of cancer stop producing bone marrow. A spinal tap on Saturday also proved that she does not have cancer in her spinal fluid and nervous system, which is excellent news. She still has to receive eight doses of chemo in her spine separately from the chemo she receives through her blood to help prevent the cancer from spreading to her central nervous system.
Over the next six months Heather will be hospitalized every three weeks for intense chemo treatments. During the in-between times she will receive outpatient chemo from the clinic. She has a treatable and curable cancer and the goal is to put her body into remission–remission meaning that the cancer is eliminated from her body.
In order to keep her spirits up I have been planning special projects; I was actually at the yarn store for an hour on Thursday picking out yarn before I received the news about Heather. I mentioned the Hallowig that I was going to make her, and it is in progress using Plymouth DK baby soft yarn in bright fushia pink. She also requested a crocheted granny cloche like the one Reese Witherspoon wears in Legally Blonde, which I almost finished this afternoon. I’m sure I will be making many more hats: luckily she wants to wear lots of fun wigs, hats, and scarves in bright, cheery colors. (She especially wants a wig in the red shade of “Ginger” from “Gilligan’s Island”)
The color for her cancer is lime green, so I am making her a pair of socks out of Cascade Fixation cotton yarn in the color “celtic green.” She will be wearing lots of socks to keep her feet warm, so I’m sure I will be making more comfy pairs. She usually hates to wear socks, so I’m hoping that the ones I make will be good motivation; plus they will be prettier.
I have so many other projects planned for her that will be on the needles and the hook as she continues her battle. I will try not to post so much “technical” stuff on my blog and focus more on the fun things I will make her and the pictures of her wearing all the stuff. My role as big sister is to 1) be the mommy at home since my mom has to devote her whole attention to my sister, and 2) to do whatever I can to keep my sister’s spirits up and keep her fighting.
My family just found out yesterday that my sister, Heather, has cancer. She has been sick since November, and the last couple of weeks finally narrowed it down to the point where we got a diagnosis of cancer. She either has lymphoma or leukemia or a combination of both, so she will see a specialist to help type her cancer. Heather has been amazing–she has been calm through the testing and diagnosis and she is prepared for the treatments ahead. She is even okay with losing her hair, and that’s saying something because she has long gorgeous hair.
(Left to right: my mom, my sister Wendy, my sister Heather and me. Easter 2008)
The first thing I’m going to knit her is a flaming pink Hallowig. I’m sure my knitting needles will be busy making things to keep her spirits up. Please keep my sister in your prayers as she begins this battle.
Kountingsheep 