Recovering

[liralen]

I've mostly recovered from the eye infection. After running through all the systemic antibiotics and a full bottle of the antibiotic eye drops with steriod-based antihistamines, my eyes have mostly cleared up. The flu thing that hit me so hard pretty much finished out the month for me.

I slept a lot for nearly two weeks. Thank you to *everyone* that wished me better health when I was having problems.

Last weekend, darkprism_fics and I heard back from Torquere and they want the manuscript, with another set of edits, and the editor was good enough to deliver on the pain before delivering on the "I want to see Torquere publish this". (Uhm... it's been a funny kind of Yay Us! But We Have To WORK). So we spent the first five days of last week cutting 10,000 words, and going over it with a fine-toothed comb after.



Which, amusingly enough, is the target goal for Nanowrimo writers to *write* that first five days. We spent it cutting that many, and, in play, in the evenings, we wrote about that many as well. What had started as a txt msg exchange during a wedding darkprism_fics needed a bit of sanity at, has turned into a full side fic of probably 8000 words. And I've been pecking away at the next chapter of Winter War whenever we had a moment to breathe between editing rampages.

Yes. October was the first month of the last seven that I *didn't* get 50,000 words. So I'd signed up for Nano just on a whim. I know, I know, it's insane to sign up for 50,000 new words when I'm having to spend the first two weeks editing a book that a publisher has mostly accepted. *laughs*

October was also the oddest month, as we usually have snow before it's done. When I came back from Oakland, the world had turned to fall, and all the leaves had turned to gold or fire, and were drifting down. It was very, very warm here, though, and one of the oddest things was that the raspberry canes were still producing fruit! Usually they do a big blast of berries in August, if I cut them all the way down for the winter. But this last year, I didn't, and I left the canes until March, and even *then* I left a few of them long. So we had a bunch of berries in June, and then again in September and October!!

So that's a picture of October raspberries. I've never had that before, and they were good.

The other thing I did was knit Jet another sweater, as he'd clearly grown out of the camo green/brown one that I'd made him last year. I had exactly four skeins of this Quaddy Blue from Schoolhouse Press. I made up the pattern as I went, just starting by measuring around Jet and seeing how big he was and going from that. I made up the cable patterns, and just kind of made up the construction as I went. When I finished the last sleeve, and got to the cuff, the yarn ran out just two rows from the end.

Now *that* is a good estimate. *laughs* The sweater is actually a little long on him, but with blocking, I managed to get it wider and shorter by a little, and the sleeves a little wider and shorter as well. He likes how it fits now, and when he elongates again, I'll probably be able to block it to his new shape. *laughs* I love wool.

If you're interested in the project details and are on Ravelry, you can see the project here.

I'm now in a binge of socks, but am about to cast on a purple version of the Aeolian Shawl, pattern courtesy of Knitty. With beads. *laughs* But they're beads that I put on with a crochet hook, not ones that I have to string on all to start, so I am vastly more content. Plus, the Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud lace weight is just a dream against the fingers (cheeks, skin... *laughs). Lovely, lovely stuff to work with and I'm really, really looking forward to the Estonian Lace.

*sighs happily* I love beginning lace projects, with beads. *laughs*

Comments

[momijizukamori]

I'm always impressed by sweater-knitting - I actually just picked knitting up again after about ten years of not doing it XD So far the thing I've managed to hold my patience on the longest is a Cherry Leaf scarf for my mom.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Ooo!! neat about picking it up again! I love knitting all kinds of things, and sweaters are just one thing I do for the boy as he needs something to keep him warm when the weather goes cold. He's also like his father in that he has a very high metabolism, so he rarely gets cold. So, for most mornings, a sweater is enough for him.

[momijizukamori]

I will admit some of it was inpsired by seeing that finished shawl you posted a couple months back XD Then a friend decided to learn recently and it was the push back in. I'm very instant-gratification though, so I don't think have the patience for bigger projects. Your stuff is lovely though!

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Hee! yes. Scarves are a lot more quickly gratifying than shawls and the like... Neat that you did it though!!

[momijizukamori]

Yeah, easier to see it come together. Though I'm doing a small shawl as a christmas present for my grandmother, so we'll see how I hold up on that XD

[catssyclaws.livejournal.com]

Aaah I must have missed the post of you sayin' you were ill. I'm glad you're doing better though! That must have been a serious eye infection for having to do that much to it. /hugs/ Glad it's all better now.

Those berries and that sweater is amazing.

Good luck with NANO! X)

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Yeah... the eye infection pretty much stuck around for three months, and it was getting me kind of depressed. *hugs happily back* Thank you! I am better now.

*beams* Pictures are fun, too.

Thanks for the luck!! <3

[catssyclaws.livejournal.com]

THREE MONTHS?! That's awful! And a wonder it didn't permanently impair your vision. Jeeze! I'm so glad you're all better!

Yeah they are! XD And you're most welcome... on all counts! X)

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Well, it's back again. *laughs* *sighs*

I'm hitting with antibiotics again... but it might be viral... and my doc's thinking of an eye specialist.

[catssyclaws.livejournal.com]

Oh what!? That's horrible! Maybe you should see an eye specialist. Better safe than sorry. Especially since it's come back. X( That might not be good. Aaaah /hugs/ I hope either the antibiotics work or you get better ones so it doesn't take so long to get better.

[tagryn]

Glad to hear you are feeling better!

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Thank you!! It is good to be less whiny. *laughs*

[mysocalledhell.livejournal.com]

im glad youre finally feeling better and that the meds did their job. and YAY THEY WANT IT! im so happy for you both. and those berries look delicious.

sorry for crappy typing...phone can only do so much and i packed up laptop last night. going to nano write in with megan after work and it was just easier that way. too bad i forgot about morning interneting....lol

[liralen.livejournal.com]

YAY! THEY WANT IT!

*laughs and dances with you*

Thank you so much! Cool that you can actually do this by phone! And good luck with your nano write!

[mysocalledhell.livejournal.com]

w00t ... *dances more*

phone can at least internet that much. but there are a few things that it doesn't like ...mostly many of the links between parts of pages on y!gal

but yay they want it

[crimini.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear you're doing better! And yay for the sweater! And hooRAY for the just-right amount of yarn!

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Thanks! And, yes!! It was funny how the yarn worked out. *laughs* I did have a little left over from redoing the collar, but didn't quite need it. So it's all good.

Jet likes the sweater a lot and is very happily pointing out how it's too big for him so that he can grow into it. *giggles* I think he's liking the fact that he *grows* now. It's kind of cool.

[incandescens]

Congratulations on them wanting the manuscript!!!! And sympathy/good luck with the editing.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Thank you!! Yes, it is rather painful. *laughs* Though doing it with darkprism_fics has proven to be a very good thing. We're probably going through it at a far faster pace than either of us alone. Whew...

[(Anonymous)]

Congrats on the Torquere manuscript and on recovering, both great to hear. And editors notwithstanding, I'd be surprised if you received many complaints about your wordcount. Your writing is prolific without being prolix; it's not as if you make a habit of wasting words.

That cardigan is adorable. I hope the boy enjoys it for more than just its fit!
-Maya.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Awww... thank you so much! That's such a beautiful compliment about the word count. *sighs happily*

He likes the color and how it feels, even if it's itchy a little. *laughs* He is funny sometimes.

[tallcedars.livejournal.com]

We've still got raspberries ripening as well. It's very odd, when everything else is dropping leaves, to see those enticing spots of red in the yard.

The hoity-toity raspberries that we ordered from a nursery didn't survive the season. The local stock that a friend gave us came with so few roots that we had doubts about them surviving, but they're already trying to take over the garden.

I'm glad to hear you're getting past being sick and am *so* looking forward to seeing you in print. *hugs*

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Yes, raspberry canes do seem to try and take over once they establish themselves. *laughs* Mine are growing new canes all outside the box we put 'em in, and it's quite the job getting them ripped up each spring.

*hugs you warmly* I am very happy to finally be over all that at once. *crosses fingers* I really hope that that was the opening salvo for the winter and that is that. *laughs* I really don't need more colds.

I am looking forward to it, too! *laughs* I had no idea there was just So MUCH editing involved, but it's been good!