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On her way home, sleepy and safe!

Thank you for all your good wishes and prayers!

Thanks to all of you for your prayers and good wishes!  Claire is doing so well, we are amazed.  Today is 10 days post surgery, and she is out of intensive care and well on her way to recovery.  She is rapidly relearning to eat and will be coming as soon as that is secure.  Mom and Dad (and grandparents) hope to have her home around the middle of next week.

The doctors say she will need no further procedures, just monitoring by a cardiologist on a yearly basis throughout her life.  We can’t say enough good things about the expertise and caring of the doctors, nurses, and staff at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital here in St. Louis.  Her cardiac surgeon, Dr. Andrew Fiore, is Mom & Dad’s new hero, and ours too.  Thank you, folks, you have our deepest gratitude!

Finished my Two-Rib Infinity Scarf (see previous post for project details) just in time for the first snowfall of the year!  I’m very pleased with the completed project: luscious feel, fun to knit, really warm, goes beautifully with my coat. Yeah!  I don’t think I have enough left for fingerless mitts, but I may try anyway.

Claire Alexandra on Jan. 8, 2012

Taking a quick break from work and worry to get everyone up to date.

Meet Claire Alexandra who arrived around noon on New Year’s Eve at 7 lbs. 9 oz.  As you can see, she is beautiful — no bias on my part.  Everything seemed to be fine, but around 24 hours later problems were found.

It turned out that Claire has a heart defect, TAPVR for you medical folks, which required open heart surgery.  She came through that safely on Monday, Jan. 9.  Now she is in ICU for 7-14 days while her tiny little heart recovers from the trauma of surgery and learns to handle a properly routed blood flow.  The people who know tell us that she is progressing normally, but the fluctuating numbers are terrifying to all of us.

Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

P.S.  I plan to be in the shop during my regular hours.  Staying home would make me crazy, and we can’t all visit Claire at once.  Come in and say, “Hi.”

Loved this design from the moment Interweave Knit Accessories came out a few weeks ago.  After Santa brought a lovely black cashmere-blend coat, I was ready to choose a color and cast on.

Plymouth’s Mushshi in the #18 Stained Glass colorway looks great with the coat and with jeans.

I hadn’t done a tubular cast on of any kind in several years. Following the pattern’s method for that cast on, my first attempt was so tight I had to start over.  With a larger needle and the judicious application of good music (Adele 21) and camomile tea, the second attempt was a success.  As you can see, now I’m cruising along.

Loving the way the pattern and color are playing off each other.  Watching the yarn consumption rate, I’m optimistic that I’ll have enough left for a pair of fingerless mitts to complete the set.  Stay tuned!

Just received the lastest Vogue Knitting. Which to begin? Sweater #11 in Cascade Superwash, #12 in Poems, or #14 in “I Can’t Decide”

Our first grandchild clocked in on December 31st — just in time to be a tax deduction!  All of us think she is gorgeous, smart, and just plain awesome (in the original sense of the world).  I’ll post photos in a little while.  Here’s a hint: she has her mom’s dimple in her tiny chin.

Merry Christmas from all of us at HearthStone Knits!

In the interest of keeping this blog’s G rating, I’m not posting a photo of this hat. Click here if you want to see the hat I made for our friend the deer hunter to wear at deer camp.  It’s gray with white snowflakes on one side and hunter orange with white deer on the other.  If you, too, have a quirky sense of humor, you can download the chart from Ravelry.

I just noticed that both deer have antlers.  Wonder how long it will take him to realize that! Rofl!!

P.S.  I knew I would find an extra project to make over the weekend!

I adore Twizzle from Mountain Colors!  It is so soft and yummy.  This shade is “Trading Post” which is new this year.  This combination of pattern and yarn is one of those perfect marriages that make my heart sing. Fast and gorgeous!