Sunday, January 2, 2011

Baby it's cold outside

Turns out last night was not a good night to be on call. Around 11 PM, I got a call about a patient I knew would not make it through the night. After the call, I could not fall asleep for fear I'd not hear my phone ring. Around 3:30 AM, I threw in the towel and prayed hard that the patient would somehow miraculously make it until morning. Forty five minutes later I was on my way to her house with my teeth chattering. We went from fifty-some degrees with a balmy breeze to a deep freeze overnight. Though the thermometer in my car read 22 degrees, it felt like 20 degrees less than that.


Slightly embellished at this point. There are many more French knots that have since been applied.

Since the day was pretty quiet yesterday, I reached the critical point where I'd have to make a decision about what this knitting will be when it's done. Should it be a pair of gloves as the pattern is written for, or should it be mittens? Gloves would be challenging and I know I can knit mittens standing on my head, so I was leaning toward the challenge. That's until I went outdoors at 4 in the morning. My hands, tucked inside usually warm gloves, were freezing and separated from their neighborly digits. My fingers would not get warm. With mittens, fingers can at least share their collective warmth. My decision was made by the weather and sometime today, there should be at least one mitten done and another on the way.


I do not have hairy arms like a man--that's black fuzz from my many layers of wool.

Since I was up and couldn't clock out until 8 AM, I tossed the last of the Christmas ham into the crock pot, added a mirepoix, chicken stock, garlic and a bag of split peas. I'm hoping by the time I wake up, the soup will be ready.

Good night for now from hospice central...or should I say good day?

12 comments:

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

i would have gone "mittens" anyway, i just like them better! the soup sounds really good too...

smiles, bee
xoxoxoxoxoxo

Celia said...

Either way, that's gorgeous!

Jane said...

Hope you manage to get a decent sleep. Mittens seem like a good idea

Teresa@1800 Farmhouse Rd said...

Hi there, I am a new follower. To me knitting is a great talent to have, I have tried, and just can't seem to do it. Hope you get some good sleep. I am a stay at home wife now, but years ago when I was still nursing and worked nights, I would come home and put something in the crock pot, and wake up to those wonderful smells later on in the day and know that supper was done. I loved doing that, especially in cold weather.

Gail said...

This pattern is beautiful. That someone can paint a picture with needles and yarn is so amazing to me. You are truly talented.

I imagine the smell of good soup greeting you as you wake.

Stay safe and stay warm.

SkippyMom said...

Just gorgeous Rudee - I love the pattern. I vote mittens too - it looks like a mitten-y type pattern.

Stay warm and yum on the soup!

Finding Pam said...

I love the colors in those mittens. You are so very talented and fast as well.

Rose said...

Your soup sounds good! It's warmed up here now and all our snow is gone. I don't like unseasonably warm weather, it's unnatural feeling. Just noticed your tree picture is similar to mine!

Stephanie V said...

I agree on the mitt vs glove notion: mitts win every time. And they're easier to make than gloves.

Soup is a wonderful food for cold days. When I'm as cold as you sound, I'd rather just dive into the pot. Pea soup is one of my faves - for eating, not swimming.

The Bug said...

I should try mittens for my drive to work - at least until the car heats up. I have to take my gloves off to DO anything anyway so it's not like I need the fingers. Hmmm - I'll be on the lookout, but they need to have some gripping ability so they don't slide on the steering wheel.

I hope your patient's flight from life was a good one, as those things go...

Unknown said...

Those mittens should be very warm. Hope you have a happy and healthy 2011.

Brenda said...

I am curious about the french knots. I would love to add some to a blanket I knitted but didn't like the way the seams joined up. Thinking maybe the knots could add something to it...like make me like the darn thing. I spent many hours on it. Your mittens will be very beautiful!