Sometimes Muli-Tasking Only Slows You Down

Yikes, I accidentally deleted the last post in an effort to check the consistency of my formatting. They seem to be back now.

The last pictures were something of a decoy while I worked on producing something for y'all to read. One of my sons, Jonathan, has taken the Japanese nesting dolls to school, sold 5, and gotten requests for 7 more. Although I was hoping to mainly sell patterns on http://www.etsy.com/, I'm happy to make amigurumi as a family project. I manage to get a row in here and there on a ruana or the silk corset, but it's nothing like my usual knitting production, which seems to be working on 7 projects at once.

The cat is French. His name is Claude. He has eyelids to make him look a little edgy, and he's wonderfully poseable. I keep him on a table at the top of the stairs, and we're trying to see how long we can go without having him in the same pose twice. He looks cute in sleeping positions and lying on his back with paws behind head.

The Easter Chick is nestled in what I hope looks like a broken eggshell. Jonathan also had the idea of putting them in an egg carton, and they fit. My kids make a great test market/focus group. Teenagers don't have much trouble giving an opinion, as a rule. Kevin has come up with the idea of a goth bunny, which is in progress. Eric has come up with many details that make an animal more appealing. They can also be commandeered to be photographers, impromptu photo stylists, and donators of props. It's my hope that they can also help with some of the computer aspects of these projects, but so far, they've been holding back a bit. It could be related to the slightly mad stare I've developed.

I think one of the things I like about amigurumi, and most of the Japanese arts and crafts, is the notion of simplicity--with amigurumi, a simple shape with just one or two features that give it personality.

And, as promised, Susan’s Scarf Pattern

The scarf was made from 2 skeins of Lion Brand's Autumn Trails, a bulky, loosely twisted yarn, on size 15 needles. I used up all the yarn to make a scarf I'm estimating at 6 X 60". I recollect now that this is a spin-off of a pattern called Jacqueline, found in Mary Thomas’s Book of Knitting Patterns, which can still be found in some libraries or as a used book on Amazon.com. It's fun to do and fast.

Cast on 17 sts.

Set up rows: Knit 2 rows.

Row 1: *K 1, k 1 wrapping yarn 2 X around needle, k 1 wrapping yarn 3 X around needle, k 1 wrapping yarn 4 X around needle, k 1 wrapping yarn 3 X around needle, k 1 wrapping yarn 2 X around needle, k 3; repeat from * to end, finishing with k 1.

Row 2: K across, working 1 k st for each k st below, releasing the extra wraps.

Rows 3-4: Knit.

Row 5: K5, k 1 wrapping yarn 2 X around needle, k 1 wrapping yarn 3 X around needle, k 1 wrapping yarn 4 X around needle, k 1 wrapping yarn 3 X around needle, k 1 wrapping yarn 2 X around needle, k 5.

Row 6: K across, working 1 k st for each k st below, releasing the extra wraps.

Rows 7-8 Knit. Repeat rows 1-8 desired number of times—I did as many repetitions as I could before running out of yarn.

Medical Question of the Week--Or Month -- Since there isn't a question I've been asked, I may use some from my practice or my husband, who has many. Please let me know what you wish you could ask your doctor without making a special visit.

Where to find more medical information—There are several good books and Internet sites. One reputable source is from the American Academy of Family Physicians, called familydoctor.org.

I'm on the Verge of Something

Really, I'm THIS close to having the next few entries written and polished, just a few glitches to clear up. I'm throwing in 2 early pictures of what I'm up to. And the knitting content is coming, really.

If at first you don't succeed....

Thank you to my first commenter--you will always be appreciated.

This is the scarf I designed for my friend, Susan. It's made from Lion Brand Landscapes, Autumn Trails. The scarf took several tries to get right.

Here's a detailed shot.
And fading into the darkness, was the first experiment with the yarn. I was inspired by the Feather and Fan scarf in Scarf Style, page 51. I turned the pattern sideways to bring out the gradual changes in color, and it looked nice on the floor--you'll just have to trust me on that one--but it looked blah on someone's shoulders.

I also liked an old pattern I'd copied years ago from a now forgotten book, but decided to make some changes. I think it was called seashells. That was the one I finally adapted that became Susan's Scarf.

I'll plan on posting the pattern next week.

While I was going through different experiments and ripping out my work, my husband, Dan, was dismayed. I don't think he'd realized that (1) knitting does teach patience, and (2) revision is part of the process. I found that it didn't bother me much at all, not like when I have my heart set on duplicating something gorgeous I've seen and it's not working, or the instructions are badly written.

So, do y'all have any limits on how many times you'll rip something out?

Meanwhile, I have finished the design for my first amigurumi (see last post for explanation of amigurumi) doll. It was inspired by the wooden Japanese nesting dolls my father gave me as a child.

I had also seen a cute pair of dolls made by turniptopia, though she sewed little kimonos with sleeves on short little bodies, left out the mouths, and I had the idea of a nested doll inside. I did have some misgivings that they might be a little too similar to hers. Then I revisited my Ramona Peep pattern from Roxycraft, which reassured me. By the way, Ms. Roxy is an amigurumi queen.

My memory was given a boost the pictures I'd taken of my different attempts. My earlier pictures of the Japanese doll had extra widely spaced eyes like Ramona; they get closer together with each try, more like turniptopia's. Perhaps turniptopia was inspired by Ramona. And maybe I’m being a little too obsessive-compulsive. You'll hear that more than once from me.

I'd appreciate feedback--when is a design different enough from the inspiration to be your own? I'll be selling the pattern on my Etsy site, www.mesamismyfriends.etsy.com.

Medical Question of the Week--What's gastroenteritis and do I need to go to the doctor?

Medical disclaimer--The following information is meant to give general information, not to treat individual cases. There is some minor variation in medical opinions about the following topic, but this information is up to date as of today. If you have any questions or concerns, contact your doctor.

Where to find more medical information—There are several good books and Internet sites. One reputable source is from the American Academy of Family Physicians, called familydoctor.org.

Gastroenteritis is usually caused by a virus, sometimes bacteria, sometimes by food contaminated with bacteria (food poisoning). The symptoms are similar: repeated vomiting, possibly followed by diarrhea. A doctor can distinguish the two by the overall history, if you need to know. The virus is very contagious. All family members should wash their hands before eating.

In the U.S., this is generally a mild, non-fatal disease. Premature infants, babies, immunocompromised individuals, and those who are malnourished have fewer reserves and require more caution. The main danger is severe dehydration.

Whatever the cause, they are treated the same way, by staying hydrated and providing some nutrition while the GI tract heals. For babies, breastfeeding is encouraged, or continue formula, with greater frequency. If the child continues to have vomiting, the best hydration is from an Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) such as Pedialyte, though this is not always well tolerated. There are also ORS popsicles. (Or, make it yourself: 1 level teaspoon salt + 8 level teaspoons sugar in 1 liter of water. If possible, add juice of ½ of an orange or mashed banana for potassium and palatability).

The treatment is time-intensive. Start with a spoonful every other minute. If the child vomits, some of it will still stay in the stomach. You may want to wait 10 minutes if the child vomits again. If the break doesn’t help, though, just go back to sipping—vomiting on an empty stomach hurts. If he/she keeps it down for an hour, you can go to a sip every 5 minutes. If the child stops vomiting and wants to eat, that is fine.

Older kids who reject the ORS or adults can try water for a few hours, but then need to alternate it with other clear liquids—diluted Gatorade, diluted juice, tea, ginger ale, flat soda. It is not recommended to withhold food for more than 24 hours; this may make it take longer for the person to heal.

Drinking only water or one drink to exclusion like salty broth, sports drinks or juice can make dehydration worse, because we lose water and electrolytes from vomiting and diarrhea. Gatorade has twice the sugar of an ORS and half the salt and even less potassium, so it’s not recommended by itself. Apple juice has too much sugar and not nearly enough electrolytes for rehydration alone.

For older kids who eat foods, if the vomiting has stopped and they want to eat solid food, let them. Avoid high sugar or fatty foods. If the child wants juice, try diluting it with water.

For kids and adults, a good starting diet is called the BRAT diet—B for bananas, R for rice, A for applesauce, and T for toast. Advance diet as tolerated. You can go on to potatoes or other starches, cooked fruits and vegetables. Kids do better than adults when it comes to adding milk. I usually recommend adding everything else before milk in adults. Some people find adding yogurt or cheese before milk itself works better. If diarrhea gets worse, back up a bit on the diet.

There are no great medicines for gastroenteritis, and generally it’s not recommended to try to stop the diarrhea with medication—the body is trying to eliminate the virus or toxin. Traveler’s diarrhea is a different story, and the topic for another day.

For severe dehydration, people are treated with intravenous solutions.

RED FLAGS—Time to call your doctor or go to your nearest urgent care facility. If unavailable, go to nearest ER.

Dehydration—Signs include if you or your loved one cannot keep enough liquids down to still urinate every 8 hours, the mouth is dry, baby cries without tears, or has a sunken fontanel even when lying down. Try the rehydration technique mentioned above and if there’s no improvement in two hours, call the doctor.

Abdominal pain--other than mild ache from repeated vomiting

Baby loses interest--It’s okay if babies sleep a little more, and they may look slightly ill such as when they have a cold, but if it seems more than that, seek help.

Blood or green slime in stool. Enough said.

Blood or green slime in vomit

Fever greater than 101.4

Stiff neck. Go to ER, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

Conclusion In mild-to-moderate dehydration, the low tech way (ORS) has been proven to be the best. It doesn’t stop the diarrhea--nature does that--but it prevents the dehydration in the meantime.

Introduction

One of the advantages of growing more mature (that's my euphemism for it) is that you don’t force yourself to keep self-imposed deadlines at the risk of health and sanity. Either that, or you get better at rationalizing why you got distracted from the Knitting Olympics shortly after committing to a project.

I have wanted to make the Silk Corset above(www.modeknit.com/silkcorset.html) for some time, and the Winter Olympics challenge posed by the beloved Yarn Harlot (www.yarnharlot.ca/blog) was irresistible. At least, until I found another project that captured my interest—making zombie monkeys.

You see, my teenage boys and I had just watched Shaun of the Dead, a hilarious parody of zombie flicks (hilarious if you can ignore the frequent use of the f-word). I was looking for a zombie-related present for my otherwise normal 15-year-old’s upcoming birthday on the Internet, and came across this:

http://community.livejournal.com/weloveamigurumi/33495.html
from the imagination of:
( parasitegirl)

I was smitten. This is an example of ami-gurumi, a Japanese craft of making toys stuffed toys with single crochet. Although you can find plenty of cute baby bunny amigurumi, many are proportioned more like adolescents and given a twist, such as a goth-style cat, a turquoise-colored rabbit, or a computer-game inspired monster. Cute, but not too cute. I had to find more.

It just so happens that I was also looking for a fundraising project, because we’re interested in doing some service projects overseas. As an avid knitter and someone who’s done nearly every kind of needlework there is, amigurumi was a natural choice. And there is very little printed in English. I’m currently working up some prototypes to use to sell patterns, with the notion of making some to sell, too. They will be displayed on a great web site called http://www.etsy.com/, a promising venue for anyone who wants to sell their crafts online.

Why, you may ask, with my knitting time shrinking due to doing (gasp) crochet, am I starting a blog? Well, I’ve wanted one ever since I first discovered knitting blogs, but I was working about 80 hours a week at a hospital. Last month my schedule opened up, and about the same time I noticed that my husband gets this kind of vacant stare when I go on too long about my projects. He insists that he’s listening, but he starts multitasking to the nth degree. If I could find some other people who are in the ballpark of being as much of a nutcase as I am, then I could have my rants and feel normal, too. Don’t you ever find/make something new and want to share it? I think it’s time I took some of the burden off my husband and 3 boys.

I like to be creative with my projects, so I hope that you'll see some things that are stimulating and enjoyable. And I'm interested in nearly everything, so you'll never know what I might talk about--but there will be lots of knitting. Maybe a medical question of the week. The plan is to post once a week, of which I am hopeful.

So, welcome to Ninjaknitter. I hope.