Practice makes perfect?

So, I've been experiencing some pretty scary problems with my vision lately. Lots of pressure, flashing lights, a general feeling that I am struggling to focus. A couple of times everything has gone black and I get tunnel vision. One day this week on the way home from work (luckily Paul and I work together and he does the driving) I got double vision that lasted about 5 minutes or so. Yesterday I had that tunnel vision thing happen in a meeting at work and decided enough was enough. I called for an eye appointment, and I don't mind telling you that when they said I needed to get right in, I started really getting worried.

Turns out I am stressed, tired, over caffienated, and generally just getting older. My distance vision is great, but I could benefit from some reading glasses so my eyes don't work so hard. Everything in my eyes looked healthy, so the diagnosis is occular migraines. Doc said just knowing that I'm not dying of some rare wierd disease could ease enough stress that they lesson or stop altogether.

What does that story have to do with practice? Well, let me tell you about the conversation Paul and I had on the way home from the appointment.

Paul: Ever since you told me they wanted you to come in right away I've been thinking the worst. I've been stressing. Thinking about if the worst happened and you went blind, how could I make your life easier.

Me: Awww that's sweet.

Paul: I figured you could still knit, but I'd have to help you learn braille so you could read patterns. And, I could put your makeup on for you, but I'd have to start practicing while you could still see.

ROFL I completely lost it when he said that. Totally sweet that he would put my makeup on for me (and he's the kind of guy that would), but hilarious that he felt he'd need to practice while I could still see so I could tell him if he'd done it right.

I have kept up with the resolution to complete the dishcloths so far. Behold the 1st March dishcloth.



Tonight I finished up all but the thumb and duplicate stitching on the second Norwegian Snail Mitten. Hopefully I can put the finishing touches on it tomorrow night and block it. That would leave me with 4 projects in the bedroom being worked on right now.



It should only be 3 projects left, but I received my Rowan 43 last week and have been drooling over this pattern ever since. I dug around in the stash and found some yarn I felt appropriate and cast on Tuesday night.



I am using Filatura di Crosa Elena in a deep navy blue. It is giving the vest more structure than the Rowan yarn would, but I think I'll like the effect. Next time I snap a photo of it, I'll try to get a close up so the texture shows.



Casting on a new project made me feel a bit guilty about ignoring the Russian Coat after recasting on the skirt. I pulled it out tonight and did a bit of work on it. Hopefully ignoring it for almost a week isn't a sign that it's going to be one of "those" projects. You know the ones. They don't work out perfectly like you planned so you toss them in a corner and pretend they don't exist, until one day you decide you have to do something about it. That's usually when I bury it under a bunch of stuff in a closet so I don't run into it so often LOL.



I really love the color changes and the look of these yarns together. I hope it keeps my interest long enough to finish the skirt again.