Loomed Pony Tail Hat

KK Green loom, 36 pegs
2 strands Red Heart super saver purple yarn held together *treated as one thread
hook/needle
**How wide you make your brim depends on the thickness of your yarn. I'm using a thin yarn. My brim is about 3 inches

Lucet cast on

Row1 purl

Row2 through 19 garter stitch **See a video tip
http://decoraccentsinc.com/garterstitchtip.html

Row 20 ewrap, don't knit off yet

Row 21 knit off peg1, purl peg1 but place the loop on peg 2
knit off peg2, purl peg2 but place the loop on peg3
knit off peg3, purl peg3 but place the loop on peg4
knit off peg4, purl peg2 but place the loop on peg5
You have 4 empty pegs - now do the garter stitch from peg5 to peg36
example -knit off peg5, purl and place the loop on peg5, continue

Row22/23 lucet cast on peg1, ewrap peg1-don't knit off yet
lucet cast on peg2, ewrap peg2-don't knit off yet
lucet cast on peg3, ewrap peg3-don't knit off yet
lucet cast on peg4, ewrap peg4-don't knit off yet
ewrap pegs 5 through 36, all pegs will have 2 loops
Continue garter stitch by knitting off peg1 and then purl peg1, etc

Row24/27 Do 4 more rows of garter stitch, ewrap row24, purl row 25, ewrap row 26, purl row 27

Row 28-40 ewrap and knit off each row until desired length.

Use the needle and the gather method to remove the hat from the loom. Make a pompom if you know how. I don't know how, I just wind a ton of yarn around 2 pegs of a 12 peg wooden loom, tie it in the middle and snip the ends. Weave in any tails. Now you can turn up the brim if you want to, wear your hat with your pony tail in a holder, or if you're like me, just slip your hair through the hole.

Nov17-28 daily notes updated

This will be updated after each visit with Steffi and I will keep it up until she gets home. It is in backward order, so the newest news is first.

Tuesday28- Went to group therapy and learned all about Steffi and bipolar. Talked with the therapist about living with the disease and living with addictions. Steffi signed a contract that she won't cut herself. She has ways to ask for help and all lines of communication are wide open. We are going to start journal notebooks which the therapist says she does with her own daughters. We will do them with Nick too. I used to do one with Jessica after she would come home from school. The hospital didn't give us back half the stuff we took to Steffi while she was there. But they did give us her and leaving was a joy!!! First stop McDonald's of course. Later we ate dinner at McDonald's then walked around the mall.

Monday27- Terry sent me an email. We have group therapy tomorrow at 3. At lunch he said maybe Steffi will come home with us after. Steffi said she filled out her discharge paperwork, she will be released Tuesday. YIPPEE!! I wonder why Jessica never went to visit Steffi unless we took her?

Sunday 26- Hey maybe there's a light at the end of the tunnel, Steffi might get released Tuesday. Our 45 minute visit went too fast today. Steffi really wants to come home. She said she slept really good last night and woke up once to go to the bathroom and fell asleep easy. That's a relief, it's so hard for her to fall asleep. We went to the grocery store today and bought lots of goodies for her to eat when she gets home. Gotta work on getting her to eat healthy, well getting all of us to eat healthy. So keep your fingers crossed that Steffi will get to come home soon.

Saturday 25- They have switched Steffi's medicine to Seroquel. I found a quite interesting site online last night which offers help and support for family members. There are helpful printouts to track moods and follow a healthy lifestyle which is something I asked the doctor about earlier. I asked should we keep a journal of her moods to discuss with him and he said yes, she and we should keep separate diaries about how bipolar affects her. This will help us find trends. http://www.seroquel.com/
It was lovely to spend time with Steffi, 45 minutes a day is killing me though. I like having the kids around me and since Jessica has moved out I am feeling lost. I think I may be following Nick around a bit too much, he seems smoothered.
Steffi has given all the girls sign names, I only remember Hannah's. There's a boy Hannah likes but I don't remember his name. Steffi actually pointed out that Hannah was signing to her parents while we were there. Steffi said there's a young deaf boy somewhere in the center, too. Steffi said they cannot do the test for brain tumors at this hospital.
I told Steffi that right before we came to visit her I started doing a happy dance and her dog Kookie (pronounced cookie) joined me and we were dancing about and then Dad joined us, and then Nick and then his dog Shelley. We were all happy to go visit Steffi. Midget and Penny were in their crates already. It's for their own protection, Midget gets separation anxiety and tears the house apart. Penny just tears the house apart naturally. Well Steffi you know the world is tilted her cause Dad sorted socks and no one even asked him.
I want to know if the place where we sit during visiting has CO2 problems, cause every time we visit I leave with a nasty little headache and I spend the 45 minutes yawning and complaining I can't breathe. I thought it was stress but maybe it's carbon monoxide. On Thanksgiving when we spent 1 1/2 hours with Steffi I had the hugest migraine headache. I commented the air felt different in the room this visit, I didn't yawn once and no headache after we left. There is construction going on around the place, I wonder if a vent was blocked.
I finished another bliss hat tonight and worked on the scarf for Paige, it's almost finished. I knitted a Christmas bell too. I'm ok with simple patterns where I don't have to concentrate too hard.

Friday 24-Geodon knocked Steffi loopy and she slept so hard she had an accident in bed. I can't help but feel that next they'll be tying her to a wheelchair and parking her by a window. I really do not want her on this medicine. Terry and I are a little divided on medicine. I am medicined out and don't really approve of it. But I am torn that I want Steffi to heal and medicine did help me heal, I just 'outgrew' medicine.
We took Casey with us to visit tonight, Steffi was really happy and I must say it was like old times watching the two of them heads together talking about boys. Casey is moving in with an aunt. I cried inside when Steffi said all the girls there wish I could be their mom. I worked on the scarf for Steffi's friend Paige and finished another bliss hat for Amy. I miss you Steffi.

Thursday 23-We are allowed to eat lunch with Steffi at the hospital. Jessica went with us, so we are all together for Thanksgiving. I dreamt all night that I want Steffi checked for brain tumors. I am hoping Terry will call her doctor. He doesn't like playing phone tag. We had a nice visit at 5:30pm also. Steffi has made up a group cheer. Some of her group's girl's parents cannot come visit them. Here we go, Steffi with her empathy, she worries about everyone else.

Wednesday 22-Zoloft didn't help, she has too many bipolar symptoms, they are putting her on Geodon. Look that one up, it's a nasty medicine. We picked Jessi up and took her with us for the 45 minute nightly visit. Steffi is adapting to Brentwood, she seems to be enjoying it. She complains she can't sleep at night. Every time they switch her medicine she has to stay for 3 more days. She wants McDonald's as her first meal. Obviously we are postponing Thanksgiving dinner. Steffi talks about the people who are there. They aren't allowed to go outside. She gets in trouble for dancing.

Tuesday 21-a busy day. Group family counseling. This was horrible. Terry was supposed to sign to me but he couldn't sign and talk at the same time. I missed 90% of the conversation including a big blow up Steffi had with Terry. Steffi is furious and sitting on her hands. Terry is yelling back at Steffi who is yelling at him. Nick is starting to look shell shocked. I finally can take it no longer. I hold Steffi's arm, tell her I love her and leave the room. I am pretty broken hearted. That night during visitation Steffi gives us each an apology letter. I'm starting to think now that the counselor provoked this fight so they could work with the anger. The doctor said they are putting her on Zoloft. Today was Terry and my 14 anniversary.

Monday 20-During visiting time Steffi says the doctor thinks she is bipolar. She is getting a lot of counseling. We hug a lot. We put the chairs in a circle so it's easier to talk. I finally fed all the animals and cleaned cages. I am eating one meal a day cause Terry forces me. Nights are horrible. I can't concentrate, so using the computer is out and knitting is out.

Sunday 19-Steffi is adjusting. During out 45 minute visit she tells us she has seen a lot of counselors, she is learning coping techniques. She's looking forward to coming home but she understands she might stay longer.

Saturday 18-Steffi was frantic, rehab is like jail, it's like basic training, they are allowed no comfort. She wanted to come home. She sat in our laps and cried for 45 minutes. She was terrified. I was frantic. We signed a paper stating our intent to remove her. We were told it's a 72 hour wait and even then the doctor could commit her. Our 45 minutes are up and we must leave. So starts my refusing to eat, feed the animals, sleep or use the computer. I start cleaning Steffi's room, it's the only way I can cope.

Friday 17-Steffi had an appointment with a counselor. In the morning before she left for school I rubbed lotion on her elbows. That's about all I remember. The following week is a blur. Friday I knew she had the appointment with the counselor and Terry took her. I didn't get to go cause dealing with signing to me was out of the question. At 4pm Terry didn't bring Steffi home from school. Nor did he call. In fact he didn't get home until 8pm and without Steffi. He told me Steffi had volunteered to enter rehab because she refused to sign a paper stating she would stop cutting herself. I was fairly frantic. Nick and I were sitting on his bed. I could not process the news. We couldn't see her til Saturday from 5:30pm and that would be only for 45 minutes.

Nov17-25

Steffi has been begging me to open my blog again and keep track of everything she's missing at home. Of course the only thing missing is her. On Nov17 Steffi decided to check herself into rehab to help her cope and stop cutting herself. Since that time it's been and uphill battle for those of at home, it is very hard for me to put 2 thoughts together. They don't exactly offer advice for parents on how to deal with a 15 year old with severe bipolar who is locked down into a program in which you can see them for 45 minutes once a day.

Starting tonight I'm going to update this normally so that Steffi will see what's happening around here and I'll take some pictures for her. We miss you so much Steffi.

I received this meditation in the email today, it's something I really needed.

A Meditation

Take 10 minutes. Find a totally quiet, private place. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. Relax. Empty your mind of all thoughts.

There's a special feeling of a vastly deep Love, an awareness of something bigger and more powerful, deep inside you. It flows from inside to the outside, from the outside to the inside. It is in you, a part of you, it is you, you are it, it is also in others, and in everything. You may have missed it, because it's so totally huge it's hard to pinpoint! Yet it's there. Sit quietly, focus on your breathing, and let your mind and heart open to this Love.

It's very quiet and easily disguised by a bunch of thoughts and feelings. It takes developing a completely new set of spiritual senses to pick it up, but if you seek it, it becomes easy to feel it. Some people call it a “sixth sense.” It takes being very, very still, and very open.

If you don't immediately experience this for yourself, don't worry. Don't feel bad about it. Just give yourself a little more love, and time. Try it again later, or tomorrow.

Nov16

First of all, we are ok Dad. The wind did blow, but all it did was knock over the basketball hoop, tear a branch out of tree and blow the back door open. The patio is now full of leaves and it is cold but the fence is still standing. It must have been quite a wind to blow open the back door. I was sitting at my computer and the back door banged open hard and the dogs and I jumped.

Today I slept from 9am til 3pm, I guess dancing for 4 hours last night really wore me out, I was already wore out from the TSO concert. Last night the Def Leppard concert was awesome, a real dream come true!!


Recap of last night ~ Terry dropped us off at the stadium at 6:30pm. The doors were open which was good since it was 32 degrees and rather windy. Steffi and I gaped at all the people and then went in search of Rick. He's a supervisor that works there and we used to go to the same church. Rick told Terry he would seat us, so we didn't have to deal with the stairs. With my lack of depth perception concrete stairs really worry me. Rick told Steffi to use the elevator and meet him on the ground level which was kinda exciting and I was just a bundle of happy nerves. He told one of the two gatemasters that we were with him but the other didn't hear so when we walked through she grabbed me and I freaked but it was funny. I suppose she probably politely asked me to show my ticket and I politely ignored her. Deaf people do politely ignore people who talk to them.

We got our seats in order, first row on the first level off the floor and the place was filling up. Even the upper deck was full!! The lights went out and a country band played, then the lights came on again and more people came in.


The lights went out and Journey came on stage and played the National Anthem and 2 hours worth of songs. Steffi got bored, she isn't a Journey fan per se. The guy next to her gave her a tease and told her to smile. She blushed all over herself and cheered up.


The lights came on and we knew Def Leppard was next so we were already screaming and bouncing around. When the lights went off again everyone was screaming and on their feet. I couldn't get over how many people had Def Leppard shirts. One guy gave me a thumbs up for my vintage rocks shirt. A boy Steffi goes to school with had the same concert shirt as her.


We danced and sang for 2 more hours. Love Bites my favorite song played during the encore and Pour Some Sugar on me which is Steffi's favorite song played last. We hung around after the concert and a usher helped us out to the elevator and then we had to find Terry.


What a wonderful wonderful night. The boys went to see the new movie with Will Farrell and they had fun too.

Today it is still cold but I slept through most of it. I did do some knitting on the shawl I am taking a knitting class online. I'm pleased with how it is turning out. This is 2 skeins of yarn so I am half way done.


I read to Nick for an hour tonight. Steffi didn't have homework but we watched Everwood and Law and Order CI.

I'm really tired. Love to my kids and hubby and parents and friends....

Nov15

Yah, we are home, it was a Def Leppard day and we are exhausted. The concert was wonderful. I'll have pictures tomorrow, now I want to go to bed.

Sweet dreams.

Nov14s

Hello, I am too excited to think, tomorrow is the Def Leppard concert. Steffi and I can hardly wait.

We all woke up zombie like, I guess it was after concert drunk feeling. I went back to bed and slept for 4 hours after Terry and the kids left for work and school. I did make a hotpad today using some old chenille yarn. I have a large roll of it since I couldn't use it on the KK round looms. I started a hat for Terry but frogged it several times. You know he has a big head but the adult KK yellow loom is gigantic. If I made a hat on that he would need to wear a football helmet. How can it be called the adult hat loom???

After school Nick and I did homework and I read to him for half an hour. He fell asleep with his head on my lap, how sweet. Steffi and I watched Everwood and then did her homework. We had to genetically choose a child, by flipping a coin to chose how the eyes were shaped, what size nose, etc. Then Steffi, Terry and I all drew the possibilities. What fun that was, all our people looked different!!

Love you Jessica.

Goodnight all.

Nov13

Took the kids to CenturyTel Center to see TSO, Trans Siberian Orchestra. We had a wonderful cool time. We are all now deaf!! I wish I could hear for reals but the light show was good. Terry even covered my eyes for the bombing bits. And he did something which touches me deeply. He asked Rick to help us out Wednesday. Rick will help get us to our seat. Gee I feel like a VIP.

I loved the snow at the concert the best. One big old flake landed on my wrist, it's a sign. We sat on the first level right next to the stage and the show was awesome.

I am so tired. Will sleep for 2 days. Goodnight. PS Steffi brought up all her grades. You go Steffi.

Nov12

Happy Sunday. Terry took the kids to church this morning, but I didn't go since we didn't know if they were set up for deaf people. Steffi seemed to enjoy the church, maybe they'll go back.

I did tons of laundry today and worked a bit on the mat for the Thanksgiving centerpiece. Steffi and I watched Scent of a Woman and Terry and I watched football. GO CHICAGO!!! Nick's friend Brian came over today. I have a few pictures of things I've finished over the last few weeks. Plus Terry and Steffi doing homework. Penny helped.



This hat is kinda short, but it's really soft. Maybe I can make lace for it?

This is 3 stitch types done on the kk long loom. My favorite stitch is the figure8 stitching done on the top, in the middle is the zigzag stitch which I call sashay, and the bottom stitches are true stockingnet. I like using the kk long loom and thick yarn.The scarf was all figure 8 stitches on the kk long loom using Baby Colors yarn, so soft. The fringe is knotted at the end to keep from unraveling. The hat was made on the green kk loom, ewrap one row, purl next row, ewrap all remaining rows, gather to bind off and made a pompom.

Finally found a use for some chenille yarn that I couldn't use on the kk round looms cause it doesn't stretch and the yarn broke. 3 hotpads, 11 stitches, stockingnet stitch. Way cool and thick.

Guess 5am comes pretty early. Goodnight. Just heard Dawnni sent me some yarn from her real OZ sheeps, but I haven't received it. Boo mail boat.

Nov11

Wow Terry came to bed at 3am last night, can you say too much computer gaming? lol

Woke up this morning and the cable was out again, but this time it was from Terry's computer being locked up. He should reboot on the rare occasion....

Steffi and I watched Men in Black II. It was funny, not as funny as the original but we enjoyed it. Nick was cute today, I was zapping him and he was doing his Matrix moves. He's very limber.

I made orange chicken for dinner, a frozen dinner thingie, heehee, it IS be lazy Saturday after all. Terry suggested going for new movies so we picked up Friends with Money. What a waste of a movie but it was nice to sit on the couch with him and eat cheese and crackers. The movie doesn't have an ending, you are drifting along in these people's lives but not really connecting with them and then the credits roll. Ok time to look around and say what happened.

Where are you dad???

Goodnight everyone!

Nov10 170

Terry was home today but we didn't do anything. He did bring Steffi home early from school, she wasn't feeling well and got herself into a state.

Terry made fish, veggies and rice for lunch and Steffi made red beans and rice for dinner. Tonight we all watched Men In Black. That movie is so funny.

It rained today a little!!

Goodnight

Nov9 170

Yah I have pictures!!

We were getting ready to watch Everwood. Steph, I love your curly hair.


Nick at his computer.



Jessica and Nate, Jessi got a job at The Gap!!



Hey it's Me!


My doggie weighs 79 pounds! Woof.



Today started out good but now I just want to go to bed. I do have yarn, thanks baby for buying it.

PS. The cable was once again turned off today, and when Terry called they said well you have to call the other company and straighten it out with them. Terry said turn our cable on now or we're switching to DSL. They turned our cable on within minutes.

Nov8 171

Yah, another day almost over. Hey we overslept today but I woke at 6:45. Terry had to give Nick a ride a school, but that gave Nick time to eat some breakfast. Steffi has been eating eggs with a yogurt on the side. It's a good breakfast. Nick has lucky charms. I ate some frozen blueberries today and drank lots of lemon water.

I didn't have any yarn so I didn't really knit today, just played a little with scraps. Terry planted the two Mexican Heather in the front yard during his lunch break. And it was lovely warm today, just right for planting. He said it should be warm tomorrow too. He went for a bike ride after work today.

After school Nick and I hit the books and I read to him. He only had math homework and he filled me in on the rest of what he did in school. Steffi and I watched Everwood and she started shining my fingernails but I started dinner and she started her homework. She's in the bath now and I'm ready for bed but need to finish up some laundry. Maybe Terry will take me for yarn tomorrow??? please please. PS, he shined my toenails tonight, wasn't that sweet.

Goodnight

Oh I forgot the pictures, I will do them tomorrow. The camera is in the other room. boo.

Nov7 172

It is nearly bedtime, I have some pictures I will post them tomorrow. Terry had commander's call this morning, which meant he woke me at 5:20 am. I wasn't thrilled to only get 5 hours of sleep. But I did manage to get Nick out the door and Steffi woke up and fed. Then you know I went back to bed and slept til Terry came home for lunch. He crawled into bed and slept for an hour. Then tortured me with the smell of a yummy TV dinner.

It is day2 of the juice fast and I weighed 172 this morning. It is nice to lose weight while fasting, but I am thinking it is more of a cleanse then a weight lose goal.

Tonight after school Nick and I went over his school work and I read him about 10 pages from his book, Flash Fire. I have to read the book since I want him to do a book report on it. He had pizza rolls for a snack, boy they smelled good.

When Steffi came home she went to her room and started cleaning it and then at 5 we watched the show Everwood and she had a Chinese tv dinner for a snack and that smelled reallllllllly good. Yes she loves Ephram. And I like his Dad of course, heehee. I started dinner before the show finished and Terry and Steffi helped finish it up. I asked them to help cause the first few days of fasting are the toughest. Nibbling and snacking is just something that happens without thinking about it. Steffi started her French homework and then they all ate while I drank some green powder mix.

Jessica and Nate came over for a visit, it sure was nice to see you both. Nick is playing his computer game, he earns time by reading his book, and Steffi and Terry went to buy Steffi a book for school.

Promise tomorrow there will be pictures.

hugs, Goodnight

Nov6

WhooHoo We're back. We didn't go anywhere just sort of pulled the wagons round and regrouped. Saturday Steffi and Nick were playing and Steffi put her hand through the French door. We took her to the emergency room and she was lucky that she didn't need stitches or need a tetanus shot. Saturday night was the homecoming dance for her. Before the dance we went to the Boardwalk looking for new shoes and to the library, both Steffi and Nick picked out books and Nick needs to do a book report with his book. We bought a Sudoku board game at the Boardwalk. Steffi and I played it Sunday, then Terry and I played it. I love Sudoku. We played as a team, so we built on self esteem and team spirit.

Today it rained and Terry gave Nick a ride to school and then the girls a ride after that. Dad's taxi, heehee. After school Nick talked about his day in school and we played checkers. Nick is a very solid player and fought til the very end, even taught me a trick but I had luck on my side and won that round.

Steffi went to a play at school tonight with Luke and now she's writing up some flash cards. GO STEPH~

Glenda brought some gorgeous Mexican Heather over this morning. Thank you Glenda.

Oh today was DAY 1 of the lemon juice fast. I'm looking forward to a bit of pampering now.

Goodnight.

Nov3

It's been a tough couple of days but we're getting through it.

Thursday was a day I'd like to forgive and forget. Some days are just like that. Today the sun shone and seemed like a much better day. Last night was so sweet falling asleep with Steffi. We could use a king size bed!! Midget was determined to sleep in bed too.

I really don't have the heart to rehash the last two days. The highlights were doing homework with Nick, playing checkers with Steffi and enjoying Terry home for the whole day running errands. I took my knitting with me and finished a scarf and hat. For the hat brim, ewrap 3 rows, then bring up the cast on row, then garter stitch for 11 rows, do the rest as ewraps, decrease every other one on the last row and gather method off. The scarf is 11 rows of garter, 20 rows or ewraps, repeated and ending with garter. I crocheted to bind off and then added fringe.

I love you Stephanie and Nicolas and Jessica.

Nov1

Heehee, we are behind. I fell asleep on the couch last night watching the movie The Lake House and then just went to bed. Then we overslept this morning and Nick missed the bus. Jessica did wake me up last night when they picked up the dog food.

I'll play catch up tonight, gotta get this house moving.

hugs