I’m still puking on a regular basis – tomorrow I officially leave my first trimester and enter the second. I’m really not that hopeful that tomorrow morning I’ll wake up and suddenly be puke free. But I’m dealing with it.

The week at my sister’s didn’t exactly go as planned. I got down there Monday and the baby (my sister’s 2.5 yr old), who had had a cold and cough the week before, seemed to be getting worse not better. We took him to the dr the next day and she sent my sister – pretty immediately – to the ER. Poor baby had pneumonia and he and my sister ended up in the hospital for three nights. It was just awful – but he’s home now and doing much better bossing everyone around and constantly poking my belly going baby baby baby!

Needless to say, it was a stressful week and I came home with a cold. It’s not a particularly bad cold, but on top of the puking and nausea I’m pretty miserable to say the least. I worked this morning and came home and sat on the couch. I think a few hours went by – I don’t even know.

I can’t believe that Spin Out is less than two weeks away!!! I received the permit in the mail the other day – now all we have to do is pray that the gorgeous weather we’ve been having holds out (or goes and comes back!) and that I can get through that Saturday without puking. Wouldn’t that be grand! We’ve gotten a lot of donations this week – THANK YOU! – and I’ll try to get them tallied up for tomorrow. I have an OB appt first thing in the morning, but then I’m coming here straight away to tell that we’re giving away not ONE but TWO SPINNING WHEELS!!!! I know – I can’t believe it myself! The generosity of this community is astounding!

I’m glad to be home.
L, C

Still puking. A lot. I thought I had turned a corner but apparently if you have one semi-decent day the rules say it should be followed by a week of AWFUL days so now I’m just hoping for mediocre days. Nothing semi-decent, okay? I was getting used to stuff and then it turns for the worse. I have an OB appt next week and if I still feel this lousy and I’m still puking all the time, I’ll be asking for the big drugs. Next week I start my 2nd trimester and I really haven’t gained any weight at all. I haven’t lost anything significant, but no gains. I think I should start to see some gains.

And I didn’t get Bruce tickets today. Fucking Ticketbastards. There has got to be a better way and honestly I blame Bruce because there are plenty of bands out there that make sure fans can get tickets in an orderly, non ticketbastard way. But G promises we’ll be going and I believe him. We haven’t missed a tour yet.

There has actually been some knitting, but I don’t have time to take a picture. I’m hoping for a Mommy Shrug! In the yarn the pattern specifies which just so happened to be on Closeout at WEBS! YAY! It’s here – I’ve been swatching, but haven’t started the actual sweater yet. Hopefully that will be this week.

I’m also leaving for the week. It’s holiday this week and I’m going down to my sister’s. I haven’t seen the kids since July 4th and we all miss each other terribly. Hopefully they’ll be a distraction and I won’t feel so awful. Although I’m kind of nervous to be so far away from home. I’ve got the whole puke set up down pat and I’m as comfortable as I’m going to be with the situation, you know? My sister will take good care of me though – it’s not like she doesn’t know from pregnancy sickness.

There have been LOTS of donations to Spin Out! THANK YOU! I haven’t had a chance to put you all in the spreadsheet so no total update, but KEEP IT COMING! When I come back I have a TON of FABULOUS prizes to tell you about! THANK YOU EVERYONE!

L’shana Tovah!
C

Anyone think she had her head in the toilet this morning? Great! I get to be pregnancy buddies with the most beautiful woman in the world. One thing I’m grateful for? My skin looks great! I was so afraid I’d break out a lot when I got pregnant and the opposite has happened. And I can’t even wash my face anymore because the smell of Dove unscented soap (yes UNscented!) makes me sick.

I ALMOST got my knitting mojo back yesterday. I was tooling around and saw this fabulous picture of Friender! Look how cute she looks all pregnant in her Wallaby! And I thought – oh my god! I should have a pregnant Rhinebeck sweater after all! So I searched around to see what else I could find and there was Kate Gilbert looking all fabulous in her Mommy Snug! I thought oh my god the MOMMY SNUG! To fit me the whole way through! And I can make it in Cotton Ease and it will be cheap and washable and I should do it! I searched some more and came across KnitLet’s Mommy Snug! OH MY GOD! Look at her BIG BELLY! This sweater looks fantastic from a bump’s beginning to end!

And yet. I hesitate. Why you might ask? Because I’d hate to start it and not have it done for Rhinebeck. Which is six weeks away. That seems so close (yet so far) and I’d hate to not get it done. But with the energy levels I have now I’d look at the freaking yarn, puke, then take a nap. Also – and this is a HUGE one – I hate to do ribbing. Hate it. And this whole sweater is freaking ribbed.

BUT IT’S PERFECT! I might go out and get some Cotton Ease, if I can stop the puking and the napping long enough to drive to the freaking store, and try to do a swatch. If I can’t handle the swatch, well then, a sweater’s out of the question.

So like I said, almost got my knitting mojo back. At least I thought about knitting for like an hour. That’s a start, right?

Oh and to all those worried that my baby will not have a place to sleep or I’ll be scouring the aisles of Babies R Us one week postpartum, I plan on registering for everything I will need. I’ll most likely be doing what my sister did – she registered for everything she needed and half the stuff came to my house and half the stuff went to her mother -in-law. And when she went into labor, we all sprung into action so that when she came home from the hospital there were clothes and gadgets and all the necessary baby accoutrements ready to go in her home. While I may be new at this, my family is very well versed. After three kids in 4.5 yrs, I trust my sister implicitly.

Thank you again for all the good wishes! I can’t thank you all enough!!!
L, C

The misery continues but here’s something that saves me at least ten times a day.

I love this man.

Don’t say I never did anything for you.
L, C

PS – Apparently it’s a free download on ITunes this week as well.

to Fits and Starts. Anyone claim that yet?

I haven’t knit since Sunday. I’m embarrassed to say that there were times I even left my house WITHOUT knitting. Scandalous I know. We’ve got less than two weeks until the big reveal and half of you have probably already guessed what’s going on but I have a date in my mind to tell you and I’m sticking to it. Suffice it to say though this has been a really really hard summer. And I can’t get ANYTHING done. I set out little tasks for myself each day and let’s just say I’m lucky I still have a business and they haven’t condemned my house. The best (or the worst) part is that I’m in such a shitty spot that I don’t care.

There are things I miss though. I miss having the energy to knit. To get things done AND knit. I miss getting lost in something – ANYTHING – and being thoroughly preoccupied. I really miss that. I miss feeling, for lack of a better word, settled. NOTHING feels settled. Decidedly unsettled.

I miss feeling like I can talk about whatever the fuck I want on my blog. Of course, my deadlines are all self-imposed, but I’m feeling like I can’t break them. No matter how much I’d like to.

Pretty pathetic post, no?

Anyway, I’ve got some GREAT news!! We’ve raised $4180! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! More prizes next week and keep the donations coming! THANK YOU!

It’s a little bit scary how yesterday’s announcement really alterered my perspective on things. Suddenly I’m not so miserable even though things have actually changed very little. I did get a bit of good news. One aspect of my summertime blues will end in about two weeks!! YAY! About that same time I’ll also start being less cryptic. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Thank you. I really appreciate it!

Spin Out is off to a slow but steady start. We’ve raised about $1350 so far and prize donations out number raffle tickets 10 to 1. There are A LOT of prizes. I hoped to have an update today, but I’m exhausted, so it will come either tomorrow or Monday. There are lots of vendors to update and a few prizes to show which have already come in. Did I tell you already – there are A BOATLOAD of prizes this year! More than I can believe!

If you’d like to help spread the word, please copy the button (and put it onto your own server.)

You can link it to the Spin Out website: http://www.spin-out.org. Thank you so much! Heifer is a great cause and I hope we can raise lots and lots of money – because we’re definitely going to be giving away LOTS and LOTS of prizes! THANK YOU!

It’s official. Springsteen’s first album with the E Street Band since 2002’s The Rising drops in less than seven weeks, and it’s called Magic. In case that title makes you, like us, think of Doug Henning… check the Mark Seliger photo at right for a first peek at Bruce’s 2007 look. No rainbows or unicorns to be found. (And that guitar… that’s magic.)

According to manager Jon Landau, quoted in today’s press release from Shore Fire Media, this one’s a rocker: “Magic is a high energy rock CD. It’s light on its feet, incredibly well played by Bruce and the members of the E Street Band, and, as always, has plenty to say. It’s also immensely entertaining. Magic is the third collaboration between Bruce and Brendan O’Brien and is a culmination of their very productive creative relationship.”

O’Brien produced and mixed the album at his home base in Atlanta, Southern Tracks Recording Studio.

Ready for 11 new Springsteen song titles?

1. Radio Nowhere
2. You’ll Be Comin’ Down
3. Livin’ in the Future
4. Your Own Worst Enemy
5. Gypsy Biker
6. Girls in Their Summer Clothes
7. I’ll Work for Your Love
8. Magic
9. Last to Die
10. Long Walk Home
11. Devil’s Arcade

Of these, only “Long Walk Home” has been heard before; Springsteen debuted the song with the Sessions Band and played it live exactly once, in London on November 11, 2006 (reportedly the day after he wrote it).

Today’s press release makes no mention of a tour, but we do expect a full-scale E Street Band tour to coincide with the album’s release. Watch this space in the coming weeks — and/or sign up for our mailing list below — for details as soon as a tour is announced.

(Information from Backstreets.)

I just might make it through this summer yet.

Sadly, this is what it’s come to. I didn’t knit at all this weekend. But I did a lot of knitty stuff! I started preparing Yarnival! for Wednesday, picked a winner in the Spin Out Logo contest, and started putting together the kick off post for SPIN OUT 2007! Look for that probably Thursday. Maybe tomorrow if I can kick ass today, but don’t count on it. The prizes are OVERFLOWING already and I’m sure this is just the beginning of things.

Things have been really tough around here lately. Not necessarily bad tough, but tough nonetheless. Knitting content might be thinner than it’s been for a long while – and that pains me to no end. Although the good news, to some of you I’m sure, is that I’ve been dreaming of seaming. Hard to believe, I know, but you might see those miters sooner rather than later.

Thanks for sticking it out with me. I’ll be so happy when this summer is over!

might just be one of my favorite dates of all. August 6 is G and my anniversary! Happy Anniversary my love! Six years legal, 16 cohabitating, 17 committed! Pretty damn good if I don’t say so myself. If I haven’t loved every minute of it, I’ve been IN LOVE every minute. Thank you Georgie!

Unfortunately, I’m still feeling really really shitty. Which means we probably won’t be doing dinner out tonight. And it means I never got to finish the sock I was sure I was going to finish over the weekend. I’ve got the toe decreases left. That’s it. I hope to show you a finished pair tomorrow.

I also did some good work on Babette, but didn’t finish that goal either.

Okay. Now I have to go take a nap. But before I go, don’t forget! THIS CONTEST ends on Wednesday! I’ve only received a few entries so far and I hope that means you’re all waiting until the last possible second to submit. COME ON! There’s YARN to be won!