Tapering Prednisone with Lace Scallops

I just realized that I regard blogging as a luxury.  I have been promising myself that I can blog after I finish my work (whatever that is).  I have been delaying blogging until the end of long, tiring days.  I have felt guilty when discovered blogging instead of healing the sick and comforting the despairing.  I’ve gotta give myself a break!  I deserve a good blog.  There’s no need to deny myself.  No bargaining is necessary.  I’m gonna blog when I want to.  Damnit.

 

I’m on my third day of more prednisone tapering.  I made it through the rapid boost, 20 milligrams to 40 milligrams and back.  My symptoms are stable, consisting mostly of back stiffness and pain.  I decided to start easing my prednisone down some more.  I’m tired of being Cushingoid and swollen and hungry, and the major part of the flare is done.  I dropped 2.5 mg, a convenient number because I can quarter my 10 mg tablets.  I can feel it.  I’m tired, tired, dragging my butt all day, worse in the afternoon.  I’m being sustained by images of me eating vegetables and exercising and having fewer infections.  I can’t decrease the dose more frequently than every 7 to 10 days, but I’ll be back to 10 before I know it.  That’s what I tell myself.  Meanwhile, I crave sausage.  How barbaric. 

 

I’m not in knitting group because I’m tired.  I was worn out from taking a bath and combing my hair.  Okay, that’s a joke, you know I don’t comb my hair.  I woke at 6:30 a.m. and watched replays from the Olympics opening ceremony while I knitted.  Missing group doesn’t mean I’m not knitting.  I really wanted to go and show off the sweater that I have reworked.  Instead, I’ll show photos of it here.  There is a story to this, of course.

Last week I finished the body of the sweater for the little girl.  Then I looked at my measurements.  Dayna had told me three times it didn’t look big enough.  She was right.  Now I have a little sweater body and most of a big one.  In the process of making the big one, I changed the design a little.  I knitted the bottom lace portion on size 5, then changed to a 4 for the stockinette body.  The lacy part will flare a little below the waist.  There is more space on either side before the lace at the bottom, so it doesn’t distort the hem.  I’ve added little lace doodahs up the front, on either side of the placket.  (The placket will be done in pink and white at the very end.)  I will unravel the little sweater to make a sleeve.  It’s all good. 

This looks very magenta.  It is really a sweet rose color.  I’ve laid them out together, on top the too-small sweater, and below it the bottom of the larger sweater.  The hem has scallops. 

 

 

 There, the color is better on this one.  Gee, I forgot to get a manicure so my hands would photograph well.  Here’s a little closer look at the lace.  This is the pattern for the lace on the bottom:

 

Cast on multiple of 14 stitches plus 12.  Example shows size 5 needles with Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece yarn, 110 stitches.  This is for girl’s size 5-6. 

Row 1 (and all WS rows):  Purl all stitches.

Row 2 (RS):  Knit 6 (margin). [ (YO K2) 3 times.  (K2tog) 3 times.  Knit 2.]  Repeat until 6 stitches remain, then knit to end of row. 

Row 4:  Knit 5 (margin). [(YO K2) 3 times.  (K2tog) 3 times.  Knit 2.]  Repeat until 7 stitches remain, then knit to end of row.  Repeat rows 1-4 twice. 

Diehard symmetry fans will note that I make all my decreases knit two together.  I don’t pick some arbitrary mark in the middle of the garment and make the other side slip-slip knit.  I happen to like asymmetry.  If you don’t, do it your favorite way. 

 

This sweater will be finished in a few days (one of the beautiful things about knitting kids’ garments).  I’ll show it with the sleeves and placket in place.  I’m debating about some little white flowers embroiedered in the lower front.  We’ll see.  I do all this design stuff in my head while I’m playing Scrabble on the computer or cooking.  I can visualize a whole garment during a grocery shop.  Maybe my engineering training helped this?  I might forget the extra-virgin olive oil, but it all works out in the end.

 

Well, I’m feeling much better now that I’ve communicated.  No more of this blogging deprivation nonsense.

 

Peace.