No knitting...

I'm getting no knitting done right now. Can't say why exactly; it just seems like my time disappears without the needles appearing. Possibly in part because I have more complicated patterns that are difficult to carry with me or knit when I'm distracted. Partially because I'm still so tired...getting over the yuck and having the whole body aches (sore muscles and joints and more frequent muscle cramps) that seize me occasionally. I really wish we could figure out what causes it. Even being in the water yesterday for my aqua aerobics class hurt my hands. My hands are almost always the worst during these episodes. I feel like an arthritic old lady. I suppose it could be osteoarthritis in my hands...but that doesn't explain the rest of the aches and pains. The doctor doesn't think it's fibromyalgia and I tested negative for the Rheumatoid factor. But there was definitely an inflammation issue when we did the tests. *sigh* It's weird, neither Naproxen or Tylenol noticeably lessen the pain in my hands, but they do help with the other aches. I've been taking one each in the morning. Getting out of bed right now is a monumental test of willpower.

But I didn't write this to complain about my aches and pains. I suppose on reflection I've gotten a bit of knitting done. I just have more than one project going for the first time and, by dividing my time, I'm decreasing the visible progress. I have finished the foot and turned the heel of the first Bloomin' sock for mom. I have almost finished the awfully boring stockinette foot for the first of the Boyfriend socks for my dad. I have not made any further progress on Carrie's Christmas present nor have I started any others...the question is, should I? At this point, I'm not sure I could finish any other knitting before Christmas. I don't know that knitting presents is any cheaper than purchasing presents. I know I am not knitting anything for Robert. It's not that he's not knit worthy but he's just too large to knit sweaters for and his feet and toenails would tear up socks. I don't think he'd wear anything else and he understands all of this. My sister and the kids have always been iffy. Adriel knows how to knit herself now, so maybe she can take that up. I think I'll send GCs to them. I'm sure my brother would love socks and Tami would too. I just don't think I have time to do that. I wanted to make mitts for Tami, but then I remembered that she thinks she's allergic to wool so, even though the wool socks were fine. I'd hesitate to make mitts out of wool in case she reacts and I haven't found other substitutes that are a resilient as wool. (It's not that I don't believe her exactly, but so many people have experienced the horrible scratchy wool of old and think that all wool is like that- therefore it makes them itch and they must be allergic. New processing methods have made wool incredibly soft now and many people find that it really doesn't make them itch. I don't know whether she falls into the genuinely allergic or if the old style wool just itches.) *sigh* I really love hand making gifts but I think that it's just not realistic for me to make hand-knitted items for every member of my family.