House Challenge Season 5

I'm taking a break from reading and posting on the Ravelry group, Sarah Palin Must Be STOPPED, to post another non knitting related but interests me entry on my blog. If you're a not a fan of Gov. Palin, go to ravelry group and get in on the bitching. If you are a fan of Gov. Palin, skip it... you don't want to become a troll. lol



Dr. Scott of Polite Dissent is having his annual House Challenge for season 5 of the tv show. Here's what you have to do:

Make a list of ten conditions or diseases you think will show up on House. Be as specific as possible: no categories (like “cancer” or “autoimmune disease”), and no overly broad descriptions (“liver failure” or “cardiac arrest”, for instance). The list you make will last the remainder of the season — no addition, subtractions, or swaps. Put your list in the comments section.

Each week, your list will be compared against the show. Scoring is as follows:

1 point for a brief mention or one-liner.
3 points if the team actually tests for the condition.
3 points if your diagnosis is featured in a clinic scene.
5 points if the team treats the condition (or supposed condition).
12 points if it’s actually the correct final answer (or one of the answers) of the episode.
Please note: If your diagnosis is close, but not specific enough (for example “meningitis” when the team tests for “viral meningitis”) you will earn 1/3 the points.

Scores will be collated each week and a running total will be kept. Scores will be posted late night the day of the show, or by noon the next day. After the final episode of the season, a winner will be crowned!

Since the last contest ended, I've been compiling and researching diseases/conditions I thought would be "good" on House. Ones that could show up on the show. I made a big mistake last year in that I picked diseases that could only be the final solution. I was trying the diseased ball out of the park. This year I've picked a few of those, but I also some "we think its this but we'll be proven wrong." Here's my picks:

1. Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis
2. Histoplasmosis
3. disseminated Tb also known as miliary Tb
4. Anisakidosis also known as anisakiasis
5. Wegener's Granulomatosis
6. Sarcoidosis
7. Scleroderma
8. TTP thrombic thrombocytopenic purpura
9. Toxic Shock Syndrome
10. Addison's disease

If you care to you can, click on each disease/condition to learn about it. The info is from the NIH or the CDC.

Fantasy Football

Well, I've gone and done it. I've joined not 1 but 2 fantasy football leagues on Ravelry. This post is for my buddies who want to know who's on my fantasy football teams.

On NFL.com , my team name is Wildfire. My players:

Quarterbacks:
Drew Brees , NO
Aaron Rodgers, GB

Running backs:
Frank Gore, SF
Rudi Johnson, DET
Willie Parker, PIT

Wide receivers:
Chris Chambers, SD
Santonio Holmes, PIT
Roy Williams, DET
Anthony Gonzalez, IND

Tight Ends:
Jeremy Shockey, NO
Dustin Keller, NYJ

Kicker:
Josh Scobee, JAC

Defense:
Green Bay Packers
New York Giants

On Yahoo Sports, my team's Wildfire. I'm original lol

Quarterbacks:
Drew Brees, NO
Eli Manning, NYG

Running backs:
Reggie Bush, NO
Ryan Grant, GB
Rudi Johnson, DET

Wide receivers:
DeSean Jackson, PHI
Greg Jennings, GB
Bryant Johnson, SF
Vincent Jackson, SD

Tight Ends:
Todd Heap, BAL
Zack Miller, OAK

Kicker:
David Akers, PHI

Defense:
Green Bay Packers
Indianapolis Colts

Don't you wish you had my teams?

Purple Rules!!

Look at what I got from my swap pal in the Purple Rules Summer Swap:



2 Lorna's Laces Sherperd Sock in Mixed Berries colorway
2 Knitpicks Memories in the Red Hat colorway
2 Sweetarts........ I ate the one of them already....... They're one of my favorite candies
Purple Flowery pouch with surprises inside



The surprises:
Aveeno daily moisturizer lotion.... how did she know that's my lotion?
Point protectors
Clover US 2 dpns...... I want to make a pair of socks with dpns
Stitchmarkers that spell out my name (Cheryl)

Thank you so much AnnaRenee :-)

Startitis

Over the past last week Ive started 5 new projects. I usually done have more than 2 to 3 projects going at once. I won't even mention the ones hibernating.



From the top left and making a circle:

1. Peach Cream Kuchen Socks: I'm knitting them for the September Solid Socks kal over on Ravelry. The J Knits superwash me sock yarn(Georgia) is a little splitty, but sooo soft. I'm knitting 2 socks on 2 circs for the first time. I found a nice tutorial online at Fyberduck. I'm using 1 skein of yarn in a center pull ball. Once I figured out how to keep the yarn from tangling(Use a ziploc or hefty bag with a cut in the bottom and another toward the top to thread the yarn through) it's easy. I'll let you know how it goes with the heel flaps and gusset.

2. Naive Socks: I knit 65 rounds and discovered I have a mistake in the 45-50 rounds. I added and extra round so the cable look wonky now. I'm tinking back to my mistake to fix it.

3. Giboshi Hat: I'm using leftover yarn to make a cable hat for Nichole's Chemo hat project. Its a left twist cable. I'm thinking of changing the ribbing on the cuff.

4. Petite Berrylicious: This is prototype Monkey sock( my 4th pair of them) that could be my niece's Christmas socks. I'm making a child's size 4-5. I'll send the sock off and see if it fits her. Hopefully, it'll be a little big on her. I adjusted pattern so I could cast on and use 48 stitches.

5. Struts Her Stuff: I first casted on as was making the Baby Cable Rib from SKS, but I changed my mind. I'm thinking of using the Ann Budd's 8 sts per inch pattern and make the staggered baby cables. I like how it looks better. If my SIL likes the Monkey sock I made for her daughter , I may just frog them and make a pair of Monkeys too.

Solid Socks KAL

My next sock kal is the Solid Socks (and semi solids too) year long kal over on Ravelry. Its an informal sock kal that has you knit a pair of socks with your choice of pattern in a preselected color. We're not picky about the shades of preselected color.

Colors for 2008-2009

September: Oranges
October : Browns (to include tans/honey etc)
November : Golds/yellows
December : Reds and greens
January : Burgundy/wine and black/greycolors
February : Pinks/Peaches
March : Greens
April : Purples
May : Pastels
June : Naturals/Whites
July : Blues, Reds or White
August: Brights and only solids

For September I'm knitting Evelyn Clark's Waving Lace Socks from Favorite Socks in J Knits Superwash Me sock yarn in Georgia. It reminds of me of a dessert one of my ex coworkers would make and that's what I named the socks,Peach Cream Kuchen.



Come on over and join us :-)

I'm having fun!!!

I was listening to Your Health on NPR and they had a segment on meditation and how it lowers your blood pressure. Meditation produces a relaxation response. Knitting does that for me! My blood pressure has gone down since I started knitting...... especially sock knitting. The socks that are lowering my blood pressure now are the Karner Blues.



I bought the cable needle necklace that is featured on Darcy's blog. Darcy has great instructional videos on how to use the cable needle necklace. I'm using it to knit the 2x2 and 3x3 cables in the Naive sock pattern. I've trying to knit the 1x1 cables without the cable needle. I'm able to do so except for the one at the beginning of the round. Those stitches are too tight to use the cableneedleless cable technique. Go checkout Darcy's blog and leave a comment.

Summer of Socks

My final tally from the Summer of Socks is 6 plus 1 in progress.



1. My 1st Jaywalkers
2. Monkey See Monkey Do Monkey Socks
3. Crimson Purls aka Berrylicious Monkey Socks
4. Acai Berry Monkey Socks
5. Excalibur Garter Rib Socks
6. Swagger Thuja Socks
7. Karner Blues Naive Sock..... Socks #1 in progress

It was a great kal and I look forward to doing it again next year.