Seasonal Countdown and Time Consciousness

Things have been strange for me here at the Lexington homestead. Ricyos's father passed away Friday morning after a brief battle with cancer. It was a big surprise for the family, and everyone else. Only four or five weeks ago Ricyos's dad had to have a quintuple heart bi-pass and some scarring was found on his lungs. The scarring turned out to be cancer that had spread from some place else into his lungs. (Only within the past week had the doctors discovered some cancer cells in his stomach where another doctor had diagnosed a “bleeding ulcer” years before.) Having lost my own Dad 4 years ago this past year, I knew what the family was beginning to go through, and, for the first time in a long time I was able to be there for someone else and not my own family. It did not cause me to 'feel good' as some people would say, but it did let me be grateful to help someone else through this tragedy. Personally I would not wish losing a family member, especially one of your parents, on my worst enemy if I had one!

As usual, when stressed any more, I turn to the yarn and needles. This time I discovered that the knitting has again taken a different perspective and changed its place – going ever upwards on the needed-for-life scale as I currently know it. Having the massive amounts of knitting to do wasn't a drag or drudge, but it was a necessary part of having my day and hours filled. Knitting helped the burdens to ease and the time to pass in peaceful rhythm, and, for the first time this Christmas season, there was time for me to actually sit and think about what I would like for Christmas in the swag department.

So, for those of you who have asked I send you to http://www.knitpicks.com and the pattern collections with the following list:

Knitting Classic Style, by Veronik Avery
2-At-A-Time Socks, by Melissa Morgan-Oakes
Knitted Socks, by Anna Tillman
More Big Girl Knits, by Jillian Moreno & Amy Singer
Knitting New Mittens and Gloves, by Robin Melanson

I also need some 42” cables for the Interchangeable circular needles. I also need U.S. 5 replacement tips.