When you buy something from me, you're helping support my family. Thank you.

This is a paraphrase from a recent Just One More Row podcast. I listened to it while walking with the dog on a hot and humid day, and this phrase really resonated with me. Even though my Etsy sales have been nothing to write home about (although thank you for the hats you bought, Sara!!), I've been doing a fair amount of custom request knitting, and it has been so fun. It's been fun to make things in colors that someone picks, out of the perfect fabric, and to practice creativity and challenge my skills. It also has been very touching because I know that several people are asking me to knit in order to help us out.

I haven't blogged in a while. It's been hard to separate my private life from my knitting life, and it's near impossible to know what to say about how things are right now.  I want this blog to be something fun, about knitting and part of my distraction / coping mechanism. But the real life issues are just too much to ignore. My husband has cancer. It's spread from his leg to his groin, to his abdomen, and most recently to his lungs and his spine. Things are very scary right now.

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My darling Don

But I want to write about how knitting and this community is helping us get through this. My previous post on meditation in motion is very true for me. Knitting calms me down when I am going nuts, waiting in doctor offices, worrying. I even walk and knit! I get a lot made, and keep my fingers and my mind busy.

Even more than that, I've learned how caring and wonderful so many people around me are. We are blessings to each other. Parents of my kids' friends have offered to entertain and help with kid transport, we've been gifted with food and funds and prayers, and our church family is supporting us with a concert and silent auction (I have some knitting there, too!) .  So, even though it seems so strange, I feel absolutely lucky.  Our tragedy unfolds, but there is still love, there is still good, there will be a tomorrow, and we are not alone.

Well, damn it, now I made myself cry. Good thing I have a strong suspicion that my mom is the only one that reads my blog! haha!

Okay, here's something fun I've been working on: LEG WARMERS! Yes, seriously!

Dancing on the Door is a new dance studio opening in Egg Harbor, WI. The owner, Andria, asked if I would be interested in selling some of my knitting there. Yahoo! Leg warmers for little and big dancers! I am so stoked. The first pair I've made is SPARKLY. Oh Yes. Next, I'm working on some fuchsia lacy leg warmers and/or boot toppers. It will take a good few weeks, but I think I should have about 5 pairs for sale pretty soon. Here's a fun article on how to wear leg warmers. You know you want to.

And as my items expire on Etsy, I think I will look for a local vendor to connect with... Spot in Sister Bay (link opens to their Facebook site) has already stocked hats (so don't need my cool hats, even though THEY ARE SO COOL), but might be interested in some wool house socks, which I could work on.  Or maybe another shop would be interested in soft and wonderful winter hats. I will keep looking.

I am also thinking of a sweater for Don, my wonderful husband. But, I am feeling weirdly superstitious about it. It will take a couple months, and I just don't know where we will be by then. Plus, I want him to really like it!!  So, am looking for just the right pattern, just the right thing, just something perfect.  No pressure. :-p

And if you have read my blog, thank you. Day by day, with knitting needles in hand!

Getting Started

Hi, I'm Jenn, a Physical Therapist, a wife, and a mom of two wonderful boys. I also love to knit, and have lots of fun doing it. I like to get creative, play with ideas, and create lovely and unique things out of beautiful yarn. Color and texture make me oooh and ahhhh. I can get lost in a decrease plan. Slipped stitches and complicated colorwork are my idea of crazy weekend fun.

I can be a knitting nerd, but would like to spare my family and friends too much pain.  So, that's one of the reasons I've started this blog! To talk knitting, yarns, ideas, and of course to share my Etsy store.

Another reason is that we are dealing with cancer. My husband has squamous cell skin cancer in his lymph nodes, and has just started chemo and radiation after having four surgeries. It has been a rough 7 months or so. I need something joyful and undemanding.  Kids and work are wonderful and fulfilling, but not undemanding, you understand. So when I can focus on something else to distract myself from the incredible stress and fear that wears you down on the cancer journey, I will do it!

 In addition to knitting, I love to run, too. I am slow but dedicated and running is very helpful for me in many ways. I can run in the mornings and it keeps me calm for the day. I can also run to raise funds and support great causes.  Wonderful, amazing people are involved in knitting and in running. In both communities, there is dedication, discussion of fine detail, and lots of laughter.

So, I hope if you are reading this,  you are enjoying getting to know me through the blog, browsing my items for sale, and learning a little while laughing a lot. I am open to talking Physical Therapy, knitting, or running, even cancer, marriage, and parenthood.