Emily M. DeArdo

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Emily Knits a Cardigan--the back is done!

knittingEmily DeArdo4 Comments
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Other entries in this series :

UPDATE!

Emily Knits A Cardigan—first post

So, as you can see, the back is done! This is probably the biggest “piece” of the cardigan puzzle, so I’m glad to have this bit finished!

One of the hardest things for me in knitting this is knowing how many repeats to do. The pattern isn’t always clear—for example, in this case, the pattern said X number of repeats, but at the end, there should be 52 stitches on the needle. It took me about 11 more rows to get to the 52 stitches mark, so…..

Here are some detail shots:


Some of the decreasing toward the neck.

Some of the decreasing toward the neck.

More decreasing!

More decreasing!

The rest of the cardigan is as follows:

Left Front

Right Front

Sleeves

Collar

So I’m on the left front now, which is simple, except for the pesky repeats. Fortunately if I’m wrong and I have to frog, I don’t have to frog too badly. Unlike the back, which starts with 125 stitches on the needle, this only starts with two, and somehow that makes frogging more palatable to me!

And, cardigan love in the news….


Seven Quick Takes--ApMaJu 301651

7 Quick TakesEmily DeArdo6 Comments
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Do we know what month or day it is? It’s hard to remember at this point, but in June I have a bazillion doctor appointments so I’ll probably start to remember what day it is!

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Around the blog this week:

Wednesday Notebook #11

Review of Living Memento Mori in the Catholic Times!

Also, book club every Tuesday at 3:00 EST on my facebook page! If you want to jump in now, you can! All the past episodes are on the FB page under the “video” tab.

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This sketchbook challenge kicks off on Monday and I am totally into it.

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The cardigan GROWS!!!!! I am so excited to update you on it—that’ll be happening on Wednesday, monthly yarn along day, so keep a look out. Here are all the posts about it so far.

a little tease for you……

a little tease for you……


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I have a bunch of doctor appointments in June, and I’m nervous about them. Some of them because they’re new people, and I have to break them in. Some of them, because I don’t know what the masking protocol is. Normally I tell people to take off their masks so I can lip read—and they do it. Will they do it now? I have no idea. So that is making me nervous, big time.

Yes, I want people to be protected. But I also want to understand what people are saying. I don’t think you can really grasp how frustrating and upsetting it is until you’ve experienced it yourself—to not be able to really communicate. It’s hard and frustrating and sometimes it’s actually scary, like if I’m in an ER alone.

So—nervous.

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I haven’t been reading and I need to get back to that. There are so many books to read and I want to read but also part of me just wants to veg out—even though I know that’s not the way to be. That’s really been the roughest part of quarantine for me, how different every single day is. And of course my sleep schedule is shot to hell.

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I have (or will have had, by the time this is live) a telehealth appointment with my endocrinologist. Hopefully we can….discuss things? Like, where should my blood glucose levels be? Why are they sometimes wacky and sometimes not? Do I need “rescue” insulin? Do I need to test ketones? Etc. etc. Since it’s a telehealth appt. we can’t test my A1c ( a helpful little number in treating diabetes and gauging how well current treatment is going), so….I guess we’ll get it when I see my (new) transplant team? NO IDEA, because we don’t have a blood draw scheduled then. And blood draws with me are just so fraught anyway. Normally A1c is just a finger stick.



Wednesday Notebook #11

Wednesday notebookEmily DeArdoComment
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Peanut Butter Power Bars

Also planted my herb garden! I have a little container garden on my porch. This year I’m growing parsley, mint, and thyme.

The cardigan makes progress! I’m almost done with the back piece!


Reading

Penguins and Golden Calves (finished)

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (finished) —SO GOOD!!!!!

Lark Rise to Candleford

Joan of Arc, by Mark Twain (struggling with this one, going to be honest) There are two volumes—the link is for volume 2.

Written In My Own Heart’s Blood, by Diana Gabaldon (finished)

Ignite:Read the Bible Like Never Before, by Sonja Corbitt

Watching

Faust, Met Opera production

Catholicism: The Pivotal Players

Links & Such

A beautiful love story 

Take a Tech Sabbath

Seven Quick Takes--Live Like Me!

7 Quick Takes, health, the bookEmily DeArdoComment
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OK, so my friend Andrea gave me a great idea for this post: About HOW TO LIVE LIKE ME in this time of virus nuttiness! :) So after some book business I will share!

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BOOK BUSINESS :)

The Living Memento Mori book club has kicked off!

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You can watch the previous two installments on my facebook page! I’d love to see you at our next meeting on Tuesday, when we’ll talk about chapter three.

Also, my book is on sale at Amazon, so you can get it at a reduced price! Yay!

Also, Ave Maria Press is having a sale!

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So you can pick up the book there too!

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OK so, living like me.

One of the things I’ve said in this crazy virus time is that immunosuppressed people like moi actually know how to protect themselves from viruses and things, because we do it all the time.

So now, I shall share my tips with you!

Let’s talk about crowds in general. About people. The first year after my transplant, my team was strict about certain things—no malls in the winter, things like that. I couldn’t go to Mass for the first three or four months post-transplant. Since I’m not almost 15 years out, a lot of those restrictions have eased.

I still don’t really like to fly during flu season and avoid it if possible. But I go to the movies and the mall and all sorts of places. I take precautions. Things like eating from a salad bar, I still don’t do. I try to avoid buffets as much as possible, or, if possible, I try to serve myself first so that I avoid most of the people’s germs getting on the food. These are things I and my family think about. You might not have to think about it, but if you’re worried about the virus, it might behoove you to start thinking about these things and deciding what you are comfortable with—as in, your personal level of risk.

I know people, for example, who, post-transplant, change their clothes if they' are in the hospital for any period of time. I never did that. First off, it would’ve been insanely impractical; I often went from clinic appointments to work. But also, because I was comfortable with that level of “exposure” or “risk.”

So, deciding on your personal risk level is important. And realize that not everyone shares your feelings—and I don’t expect everyone else to live like me! :) But if you want to know my tips, here we go.

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Carry hand sanitizer. Get one of those little key chain things from Bath and Body Works and put hand sanitizer in it. Grab sanitizer whenever you’re in there to stock up on body wash or whatever—it’s almost always on some sort of sale. Then you have a stockpile! I keep one in my desk and also in my purse.

NOW: Here is how you use it.

When you touch things, you use the sanitizer. Touch money? Sanitizer. Use the pen at the credit card kiosk thing at the store? Sanitize. Use the gas pump? Sanitize. Just do it. It becomes a habit. In the hospital rooms at the resort there is a sign that says GEL IN, GEL OUT. That means use the sanitizer gel when you come into a patient’s room, and when you leave it. So think of that. Gel in. Gel out. Clean hands! (You don’t have to use it EVERY TIME YOU TOUCH SOMETHING. You’d go nuts. But use it at various times when you’re in a store. Definitely use it when you leave. Things like that.)

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BRING YOUR OWN WHATEVER

Carry your own pens in your purse, so they’re “clean”, and no one else uses it but you! If you use the pen at the doctor’s office, sanitize your hands after you use it! (Also clean off your cell phone, don’t let other people touch it, and if they do, clean it again. Normally I’m not fanatical about this, but right now, it can’t hurt!)

I have my own Magnificat for a few reasons—because I wanted all the prayers to help me know what the priest is saying at Mass, but now, it’s so I don’t use the communal pew missal! It’s clean! It’s mine! No one else messes with it! Only germs on it are mine. :)

Have tissues in your purse, so that if you have to blow your nose, you can and there you go. :) (Also useful for spitting when you have productive cough—isn’t CF elegant? :-P)

When I fly, I bring wipes, and I wipe down the tray, the seat back, the seat rests, and anything else I’m likely to touch. I am really germaphobic when I fly. Now, who knows, I might be that way at a restaurant.

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Don’t open doors with your hands. Use the handicapped switch plate, if there is one—just bang it with your elbow. Push against doors to open them. Also, if you’re wearing gloves (like regular winter gloves), you’re OK. Basically you want to avoid “high touch surfaces”—if you can’t, then, sanitize and go.

In the bathroom you can try to use a paper towel to open the door after you wash your hands, or just sanitize when you get back to your seat. (B/c not every place has paper towels, but they need to bring them back, since they’re MUCH more effective at removing germs from hands after you wash them than the “air dryer” thing.)

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Demonstrate good germ hygiene. Cough into your elbow. Blow your nose once and toss the tissue. IF YOU ARE SICK STAY HOME PLEASE. This, really, is key. I can do all sorts of things to protect myself, but if you come to church/work/whatever, sick, you are putting people at risk. Please do not be stupid. If you MUST come to work sick, then do whatever you can to avoid infecting others. Don’t sit at he communal lunch table! Cover your cough! Etc.

I am not perfect about all this—ask my mom! :) But I’m still alive 15 years post-transplant so I must be doing something right.

Did I wear masks out and about before? No. Not unless I was on a plane or in a hospital (and even in a hospital under SEVERE duress. I hate wearing them). I do have them—as in, real surgical masks. (I also have cloth ones, thanks to my friend Elizabeth!) I will be wearing them when I go out and I’ll keep a stash in my purse, just like I do with tissues and hand sanitizer.

The whole point of a transplant is to have a life after transplant. I know people who are SERIOUS germaphobes post. They don’t open their windows when someone is cutting grass outside. They don’t open car windows if there’s construction. They’re terrified of leaving their house.

That was never me. The point is to live, but not live stupidly. I try not to do stupid things.

Like I said above, I’m not perfect. But a lot of people are freaking out about being in public with anyone, with touching anything, and I’m going to tell you that there are ways to do it and be safe. There really are. I know because I do it, every day, year in and year out, that don’t involve shutting everything down and never leaving your hobbit hole again. I went to the pool. I went to hockey games. I went to amusement parks.

In short, I had a life.

You can too!






Wednesday Notebook #10

Wednesday notebookEmily DeArdoComment
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Making

From Outlander Kitchen—North African Rice Pilaf from Claire’s Apothecary Cabinet (makes a TON.Take out the chili pepper or use plain sausage if you want less spicy!)

Chicken wings (or drumsticks!) Provencal (This is REALLY easy. It takes awhile to make but that’s mostly hands-off time, so you can do other things while the drumsticks marinate and bake!)

Reading

A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Finished)

An Echo In The Bone

Penguins and Golden Calves, by Madeleine L’Engle

The Dark Night of the Soul (finished)

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snake—the Hunger Games prequel!

Watching

Lark Rise to Candleford on Hulu—British Drama! Yay! (I’m also moving slowly through the book.)

Links & Such

10 easy breakfast-for-dinner recipes

The oldest continually operating university in the Americas was founded by a Dominican. (OP Power!)

Peek inside cook Patricia Wells’s Paris Atelier (So sunny and pretty!)

Rogation Days!

Why Satan Is So Scared of St. John Paul II (OK, it’s a click bait title, but it’s a good story! St. John Paul II, PRAY FOR US!)

Things St. John Paul II might tell us during this pandemic

Book Sale at Amazon!

the bookEmily DeArdoComment

Hi everyone!

Just wanted to let you know that my book is currently discounted on Amazon. I have no idea how long this will last, but if you’ve been wanting to get a copy (or a few more!), this is a great time to do it!

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Also, be sure to join the book club! We kicked off last week on my Facebook page, and you can catch that recording, and join us for the next installment tomorrow! We kick off at 3:00 EST (so noon for you West Coasters). This week we’ll be talking about Chapter Two—Jesus Receives the Cross. (Or picks up his cross, or carries his cross—this station has a lot of names!)

I’d love to see you there!

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Wednesday Notebook #9

Wednesday notebookEmily DeArdoComment
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Fifth Wednesday of Easter

“The Coronation of the Virgin”, Fra Angelico

“The Coronation of the Virgin”, Fra Angelico

The book club for Living Memento Mori has started on my Facebook author page—come join us! Every Tuesday at 2:00!

Making

Boothbay Cardigan

Elementary Wrap

Playing around with my pretty yarn and pondering casting on just a BUNCH of projects….

Reading

The Fiery Cross (finished)

A Breath of Snow and Ashes

A Stash of One’s Own

The Dark Night of the Soul

Joan of Arc, Mark Twain (FINALLY started this!)

Angle of Repose

Watching

The Last Dance (ESPN)

Rogue One

Star Wars

The Empire Strikes Back

The Notebook

Return of the Jedi

Links & Such

For my hockey people: NHL All-Star John Scott joins the Catholic Church

Seven Quick Takes--Fourth Friday of Easter (with a hospital trip but don't panic)

7 Quick TakesEmily DeArdoComment
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Happy Fourth Friday of Easter!

This isn’t a resurrection painting; it’s Raphael’s “Transfiguration”, but it’s one of my favorites so I thought I’d share!

This isn’t a resurrection painting; it’s Raphael’s “Transfiguration”, but it’s one of my favorites so I thought I’d share!

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On the blog this week:

A Little Bit Stuck?

Yarn Along: Emily Knits a Cardigan Part two!

Wednesday Notebook #8

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OK, so hospital. That was actually last week but I realized I didn’t write about it, so here we go.

My gallbladder was being stupid and it went on for awhile—like, five days of pain and not-niceness. So my doctor wanted me to go to the New Resort to get it all checked out. So, dad and I did. We needed Dad because he had to push me in a wheelchair. Yes, this was a ruse. I’m sorry. But they wouldn’t allow anyone else with me otherwise, and I needed dad to translate for me, so…..yes. I got to ride.

I just needed bloodwork and an ultrasound, but since this is the NEW RESORT (NR), I didn’t know where everything was, so Dad and I navigated it all right. The signs at NR SUCK. I’m sorry, but they do. We had to ask a few people. Again, thank goodness for dad, because everyone had masks on, so I would’ve been so confused. And also, with six feet, I can’t get close to hear what you’re saying, so that makes it even harder! Anyway!

We got blood, got the ultrasound, came home, and I slept for basically two days. Bliss, let me tell you. (Especially after a week of no sleep!)

The hospital was very quiet, and efficient. There were cordons everywhere so you had to ‘stay on the path’ and at every entrance there were stations where nurses took your temp and gave you a sticker saying you’d ‘passed’, and you got to move on.

The places where I went will soon become quite familiar to me, I felt like I should be introducing myself to these people, saying, “Hi, you’re gonna get to know me well.” I did not. But I did dress nicely! I mean in an outfit!

So that was my big Emily’s Day Out. Everything was fine—I have stones and “sludge”—yes, that is the technical word!—in my gallbladder but whatever. It’s not emergent. So it stays for now.

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Good things about NR: Excellent parking.

Bad things: Signs. They suck. And there’s no paths, like at Current Resort. Where are my green paths and yellow paths and PURPLE PATHS, DANG IT. Where are my wayfinding animals?!


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BOOK CLUB starts next week!

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If you need a copy of the book, go here and select your retailer of choice!

The plan for the book club is that we’ll go through each chapter—one chapter a week. I’ll expound on some themes, answer your questions, and give you some behind the scenes goodies, if there are any that are applicable!

Also, if you have read the book, please leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads? Thank you!

Oh, and if you’re on Goodreads, add the book to your shelves also!!!! Thank you! :)


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Let’s see what else….how about fun yarn?



Quince and Co. Crane in Aquilla

Quince and Co. Crane in Aquilla

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I just read A Circle of Quiet, one of Madeleine L’Engle’s journals, and I highly highly highly recommend. Go get it!



A Little Bit Stuck?

essaysEmily DeArdoComment
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Are you feeling like your energy and motivation varies wildly from day to day?
I asked this on twitter the other day, and from the responses I got, I think I’m not alone.

Self-isolation or “stay at home” orders, or whatever you want to call it….it can be hard to drudge up motivation to do things, right?

comfort knitting!

comfort knitting!

So here’s what I’m telling myself—I do the bare minimum every day, and anything else is extra. I have a list of things I want to do, and if I feel energetic and focused, I can knock out things on the list. If I don’t, then maybe I do one little thing, like a load of laundry or clearing off part of the counter. Whatever.

I think we really need to give ourselves grace and space during this time. It’s a really different way to live, and there’s stress about unknown things. Even the basics, like church and school, aren’t happening, and that can throw us off in deep ways.

Right now, I think giving ourselves grace, space, and flexibility are all good gifts.

Wednesday Notebook #8

Wednesday notebookEmily DeArdoComment
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It’s the Fourth Wednesday of Easter!

St. Joseph with the Baby Jesus. Since the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker was on May 1, I thought this was an appropriate image to share today!

St. Joseph with the Baby Jesus. Since the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker was on May 1, I thought this was an appropriate image to share today!

Making

Elementary Wrap

Boothbay Cardigan

(More on the knitting projects in this week’s Yarn Along!)


Reading

Anne Boleyn, a King’s Obsession

Jane Seymour, the Haunted Queen

Anna of Kleve, the Princess in the Portrait (why yes, I am reading Alison Weir’s Tudor Queens series, how did you ever guess????? :)

Lark Rise to Candleford

The Fiery Cross

Knitlandia, by Clara Parkes (eh)

A Circle of Quiet, by Madeleine L’Engle

Watching

Outlander

The Last Song (yes, I did watch a Miley Cyrus movie. It’s pretty good. Don’t @ me.)

The Star Wars movies: Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith

Links & Such

Buttermilk roast chicken!

“Invitation” by Mary Oliver

Baby Goats!

Yarn Along #97: Emily Knits a Cardigan UPDATE!

books, knitting, yarn alongEmily DeArdo2 Comments

Hello alll!

So you may be wondering where my cardigan project is?

It’s on the needles, humming along….

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In case you’re new to this, here are the posts in this series so far:

Emily Knits A Cardigan—pattern, schematic, basics


Once I got gauge, I was happy as a clam and began immediately.

This little gauge is the BEST THING EVER, really.

This little gauge is the BEST THING EVER, really.

So all was going well until…..

I had to RIP OUT. Alas! I dropped a stitch and I didn’t like how I fixed it, so I figured it was better to just rip it out and start again….so I did. I’m almost back to where I was before that, which is good! (I had just joined the third ball to the back piece, and was getting close to beginning the raglan shaping. EXCITING! :)

(Really, it is!)

So that’s been my main project. I am loving it. I have a bunch of yarn here for other projects that I’m debating casting on and then just rotating through projects but I also feel like I need to give the cardigan most of my love.

I’ve also been loving my Knit Stars classes, which I bought when they were on sale during the Early Bird period, so now I have Knit Stars 1 and 2 and 5, when it officially opens in October. Yay! I’m learning so much, which is great, especially as I work on the cardigan.

I’m also still working on the Elementary Wrap from Purl Soho, but that’s more like weekend knitting. Most of my time is on the cardigan. :)

Although I did pick up this GORGEOUS yarn….

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As for books.


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Yes, a lot of reading. Some of this is research for book 2, and a lot of it is just reading to keep me sane. :)

What are you reading/knitting/doing?





Wednesday Notebook #7

Wednesday notebookEmily DeArdoComment
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It’s the third Wednesday of Easter!

Raphael, The Resurrection

Raphael, The Resurrection

It’s also the feast of St. Catherine of Siena, and the wedding anniversary of Prince William and Duchess Katherine!

St. Catherine with a little memento mori!

St. Catherine with a little memento mori!

Making

Boothbay Cardigan

a fun comfort knitting scarf with color change yarn

Elementary wrap is still going….

Reading

Drums of Autumn, Diana Gabaldon

The Other Queen, by Philippa Gregory (finished—this one is just OK. Too many characters. Just the women would’ve been much more interesting, get rid of the whole George plot line!)

The Sex Lives of Cannibals (yes, terrible title. It is FUNNY, though), by J. Maarten Troost (finished)

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, by Maria Di Lorenzo (research!) (finished)

Knitlandia, by Clara Parkes

Angel of Repose, by Wallace Stegner

Watching

Norma, the Met Opera. SO GOOD.

Giselle

Catholicism

The Prince of Egypt (I just love this movie!)

Links and Such

How to get through these days? Lots of E.G.

You can still join to Consider the Lilies with Take Up & Read! Here is all the information!

75 No Cook Meal Ideas

The Living Memento Mori Book Club!

book clubEmily DeArdoComment
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I am so delighted to bring you this virtual book club!

I know, Lent’s over, but I still think it’s worth getting together to talk about Living Memento Mori, because it’s a message we need all the time, not just during Lent.

Here are the details:

The kick-off is Tuesday, May 12, 2020 at 3:00 on my Facebook page.

The entire schedule of meeting dates can be found here. We’ll meet every Tuesday at 3:00 on my page from May 12-August 18, so this will run almost all summer. We’re taking a chapter a week, and there are fourteen chapters, plus the epilogue.

You can purchase the book at Amazon, Ave Maria Press (where it’s on sale until April 30!), or any other bookstore (links to various retailers can be found here).

It doesn’t matter if you use an e-book or a hard copy—we’re just taking it a chapter a week, so flip to the appropriate chapter.

I’m really looking forward to doing this with you! If you have any questions, drop them in the comments and I’ll answer them!

Seven Quick Takes--Second Friday of Easter (and BOOK CLUB!)

7 Quick TakesEmily DeArdoComment
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What a week!!!

So my body has decided it needs to misbehave….so I’ve got a sinus infection and my gallbladder is acting up, but since the last place we want me right now is a hospital (and I do not one to go to one), we’re trying to treat at home. The cipro I’m on for the sinus infection is really knocking it out, thank goodness, but the gallbladder issues are a bit harder. OH WELL.

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(Because people always ask—yes, I am on cipro. I’m on a lot of antibiotics prophylactically, which means to keep me from getting sick—I’m basically the human version of a chlorinated pool—so that when I get an infection, we have to use Big Guns to knock it out.)

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Around here this week:

Wednesday Notebook #6

And the big Ave Maria Spring sale continues! My book is available for $9! (The sale ends next week, on the 30th, so hop to it!)

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Also!

Take Up & Read is going to begin studying our first book, Consider the Lilies, on Monday—and we’ve made it available in a digital format!

We’ve never done a digital copy of our studies before—normally, they are published by Amazon. But with the pandemic, it’s hard to get our studies right now, so we decided to make Consider the Lilies available digitally!

This is the perfect study for right now. Do you feel lost? Confused? Upset? Wondering where God is in all this mess? Then you need this study. It’s a beautiful one!

I hope you’ll join us! Here’s all the information you need.

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OK SO BOOK CLUB!!!!

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KICKS OFF MAY 13!

3:00 PM EST on my facebook page (link above).

We’re doing one chapter a week: here is the schedule.
Check back on Monday for more!!!!

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I’ve started research for my next book!!!! It’s exciting! It’s about saints who were single—single in the world, not single like priests and nuns. So I’m researching and getting to know these saint friends, and how they found their purpose, which I think is important for singles now. As you know, if you’ve followed me for awhile, I have Thoughts! :)

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How are you doing? Any prayer requests? Concerns? Need to talk? Drop your thoughts in the comments!






Wednesday Notebook #6

Wednesday notebookEmily DeArdoComment
Violet and White Floral Watercolor Mother's day Instagram Post.png

Second Wednesday of Easter

“The Resurrection of Christ”, Paolo Veronese

“The Resurrection of Christ”, Paolo Veronese

Making

The Boothbay Cardigan!

Elementary Wrap

Rachael Ray’s Smoky Black Bean and Rice Stoup —this is amazing and mostly a pantry meal! It has bacon so don’t make it on a Friday if you don’t eat meat on Friday. Super easy. I used soy sauce because I was out of Worcestershire sauce—it’s fine. I also used pressed/crushed tomatoes instead of tomato sauce. Also fine, and indeed I might like it better. If you go that route, make sure they’re really crushed. Like, liquidated.

Also, REALLY mash the beans when the recipe says to. They don’t have to be perfect, and it doesn’t have to be exactly half, but I did a really good job mashing last night and it makes lots of difference.

This reheats beautifully. It made a huge pot for me—serve this with some bread and you’ve totally got a full meal. You might not even need bread or salad. It’s that filling.

Reading

The Two Towers (YES STILL)
Voyager, Diana Gabaldon (finished)

Drums of Autumn, Diana Gabaldon

Slow Knitting, by Hannah Thiessen (finished)

The Other Queen , by Philippa Gregory

Habitat: The Field Guide to Decorating, by Lauren Liess

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati: Journey to the Summit, by Ana Maria Vasquez (finished—research for book two!)

Kateri Tekawitha: Mohawk Maiden, by Evelyn Brown (Finished—also book two research!)

Watching

Return of the King

Outlander (series re-watch)

Catholicism

Rise of Skywalker

Links and Such

The Quiet Wisdom of Audrey Hepburn

A Virtual Tour of Prince Charles’ Garden at Highgrove

Seven Quick Takes--Easter Friday

7 Quick Takes, hearing loss, health, holidays, journal, the bookEmily DeArdo1 Comment
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HE IS RISEN! Wooooo!

Let’s try to party as much as we can? OK?

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Little bit of business first—Ave Maria Press is shipping books again, and my book is on sale!

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The book’s sale price is $9, so grab a couple, stock up! Or buy some other great books—Joyful Momentum , Pray Fully, and Giving Thanks and Letting Go, are other great reads!

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On the blog this week:

Wednesday Notebook #5

Emily Knits a Cardigan!



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Whew, I feel like I have a lot of things to tell you, but I don’t know if I really do! :)

My birthday was last Thursday—Holy Thursday. Obviously we didn’t “go” to Mass. I watched Bishop Barron’s Mass from Santa Barbara—his Masses are captioned, so that’s why I watch those in particular.

There was cake….

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There was mucho birthday yarn….

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There were other gifts, too, but I didn’t take photos so I’ll have to talk about them next week. :) Maybe I’ll do a whole birthday post so we can have some fun?

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And Easter was weird, too…..I mean, no Mass, for starters. I did watch a Vigil recording at my home parish. BUT—IT IS STILL EASTER. So even though it’s not what we’re used to, the Resurrection still happened. :) We are still Easter people!

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(LONG!)

A couple things that I’ve been thinking about—If we’re all going to be wearing masks for the near future, I, and other hearing impaired folks, are massively screwed, because we read lips. (Well, some of us do!)

Can I just ask—if someone asks you to pull your mask down when you’re talking to them, can you step back and do that? Because otherwise, I really have no idea what you’re saying. In hospital settings my doctors and nurses don’t wear masks, because we end up having a “What did you say?” marathon. It’s just not practical. I’ve seen some pieces that have talked about face time calls or having someone with you to “translate.”

Massive sigh.

Guys. First off, if I had to bring one of my parents to every doctor’s appointment I had, they’d go nuts. And they can’t go to every one. Second, this denies me my agency. I hate to say that because it’s sounds so jargon-ish, but people need to talk to me, not the other people with me. ME. THE PERSON, THE PATIENT.

There are, apparently, masks with clear sections around the lips for lipreading in development. They have to be FDA approved, for starters. And then put into production. And honestly, I don’t think they’re going to be produced for a while yet, because they’re just not a priority.

It is already hard enough for me to get hospitals to email me or talk to people who aren’t me because I can’t use the phone. But if mask wearing becomes super en vogue, a lot of us are really screwed, and I’m going to be either having meltdowns in stores, or I’ll be answering all the wrong questions and looking like an idiot.

I’m trying not to freak out about something that might not happen. But I would ask you all to be aware—if you’re talking to someone and it seems like they’ve really lost the plot, and you’re wearing a mask, chances are they’re hearing impaired.

Oh, and also—and this is just in general—if I ask you to repeat yourself, please do it. Don’t huff about it or be annoyed about it. Just repeat yourself. You don’t need to start with “I said.” And also DO NOT SAY YOU SAID NOTHING. You clearly said something.


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On that note….happy Friday? :) I’ve been watching a lot of the Met Opera live streams. If you’re an opera fan, be sure to check it out. If not, check it out! Tonight is Madama Butterfly, super popular, and a great first opera! Also, this is a gorgeous production.

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Wednesday Notebook #5

Wednesday notebookEmily DeArdoComment
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He is Risen! He is Risen indeed!

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Happy Easter!

Making

#Emilyknitsacardigan

The world’s BIGGEST SWATCH :)

The world’s BIGGEST SWATCH :)

Elementary Wrap

Reading

Voyager

One Thousand Gifts

The Two Towers

The Small Rain (finished)

A Severed Wasp (finished)


Watching

The Met’s Romeo et Juliette —GORGEOUS

Jesus of Nazareth

Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker (birthday present! :) )

rewatching Outlander from the beginning….I keep thinking I’ll do a series about Outlander and Catholicism, so I’m re-reading the books and re-watching the series to get the information fresh in my head.


Links and Such

A poem about the harrowing of hell in Anglo-Saxon (with commentary!)

How to sleep better during COVID-19

10 Ways to Create a Calm and Peaceful Home (Some of these things you might not be able to do right now, but you can think about them!)

We might all need some Padre Pio socks! (Or Mary….or St. Therese….or St. Dominic….or St. Joan of Arc….or St. Augustine….or JPII…..they have so many!)





Emily Knits A Cardigan!

knittingEmily DeArdoComment
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Yes, folks. The time has come.

I am going to knit a cardigan.

If I don’t do it now, when everyone is at home and I can ask EVERYONE QUESTIONS ALL THE TIME, then when can I do it?

Now is the time. It is the spring of our discontent but it will be the SPRING OF THE CARDIGAN.

So first up, what pattern?

I chose Hannah Fettig’s Boothbay Cardigan, because it can be knit in pieces and them seamed.* I definitely wanted to do one that was knit in pieces so that if something went horribly awry, I could rip out that piece, and not the whole thing. I’m not that great at frogging (ripping back ) to a certain point and then trying to pick up the stitches. So, a seamed knit it was.

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Images from Hannah’s website, Knitbot

Images from Hannah’s website, Knitbot


I didn’t want a brown cardigan so I chose a medium heathered grey, which is one of my favorite colors just because I think I look good in it! :) And it goes with a lot of other colors, as well, so it can be worn a lot. It’s Quince and Co Lark (the suggested yarn) in Kumlien’s Gull. (picture at the top of the post)

A few things, before we really get into the cardigan goodness:

When you’re knitting a garment you obviously have to choose your size. There are various ways to do this. The way I did it for this was measured my upper arm, and then chose the number on the schematic that was closest to this.

A schematic looks like this:

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So, you want to take the number that is closest to your actual measurements (I am generally going up here) and you also want to look at the ease, which is listed in the pattern. Ease is either positive or negative. Positive ease means the garment fits more loosely; negative ease means it’s more form-fitting. This cardigan has a positive ease of 2.75”. So knowing that, I also chose the higher number for my garment, because I want he cardigan to be able to go over a long-sleeved t-shirt or a dress.

Knowing your measurement determines how many skeins of yarn you need to get. In my case, it was 17, and I threw in an extra one for swatch purposes.

Once I wound all the yarn (as you can see above, it was a lot of yarn), today (Monday) I cast on to knit the swatch. Gauge is fairly imperative when knitting a garment! So I had bought an extra skein just for swatch purposes.

BIGGEST SWATCH EVERRRRRR

BIGGEST SWATCH EVERRRRRR

The swatch was then blocked (ie, it took a bath!), and is drying.

Once it’s dry, I will check the gauge. If I’m bang on, it’s good to go. If I’m not, then I will knit another swatch with either larger or smaller needles, depending on which way I’m off. The book gives instructions for this, which makes me very happy! The fact that Hannah puts in so much good information in her book is one of the other reasons why I chose it for my maiden cardigan voyage.

So, that’s the beginning of Cardigan Adventures! Stay tuned….

*Hannah’s book Home and Away (from which Boothbay comes) is full of lovely projects, and all of the cardigans and sweaters can be made either seamless or without. There are also really useful essays in the book, so I highly recommend picking this up!