Where in the world......?

The question of where I am in the world has come up before – though usually via email. I haven’t tried to be mysterious or hide my location (I promise!) but instead I’m worried about the power of google.

That, and it’s a small world up here, and instead of the usual “6 degrees of separation” it’s more like “two degrees, three on a bad day, of separation.” (For instance: yesterday’s clinical lecturer has a daughter; my mom was one of her daughters middle school teachers. Another example? One of my undergrad professors found out I was from here and said, “oh I know someone up there.” I asked who it was, and she commented I probably wouldn’t know her….but I persisted and it turns out I used to babysit and teach swim lessons to the kids of the only person she knows from here. These examples are common, and I’m worried about how the connections will grow once I’m in the middle of the medical world.

But, there seems to be enough interest (if people going back through old posts looking for something that tells them where I am is any indication) so I’ll simply say that this is my local yarn store when I’m here. Next year? I’m going north; not as far north as I could go, but further north then I am now to a residency program (I'm not a resident yet - the program accepts third year medical students). The school I attend is the only med school up here. (The links on the side down there were my other hint – I grew up with lots of books that had hidden twists and we always try and outdo ourselves with our own versions…) If you want more info, feel free to email me - the address is at the end of my "profile."

The pile of CottonFleece started growing when I saw a striped cotton sweater that I wanted, but figured I could make myself. The initial colors were the brighter colors – magenta, lime, the deep blue and purples, the teal green and mustard yellow. I knit up the front part of the sweater, but then ripped it out when I thought my stitches too uneven. I liked the colors, but they were bright and as time went by I picked up a few other colors to try and mix in – hence the pile. The colors I swatched up and decided to knit this time around? Out of all of them only one of them is one of the original colors! I ran by the yarn store this morning to pick up the lighter green (it’s called spryte, and it beat out banana for the position in the swatch). I feel bad about not using more of my original colors, but I have enough for another sweater – so it’s not all a loss. (acquiring yarn over time and then making a striped sweater is new for me, but this might work out again in the future…..)

I hope seven skeins of will be enough – I don’t have a pattern yet (that’s the next step and it’s between a top down knit in the “round” one piece raglan cardigan, or a modified cardigan from a pieced together (dropped shoulders - which I’d change to set-in sleeves) sweater pattern) but I think it’ll work out. If it doesn’t I’ll come up with something – I can’t bring myself to try and find yet another color to try and work into the scheme…..(I’m leaning towards the raglan but have been known to change my mind.)

My board reviewing is going okay and I’m off to do more of that tonight. We’re into the endocrine system, which is our last system before we have a week long course on the emergency room and suture/knot tying. This system is going well so far, partially because we’ve had great lecturers. It’s bringing out my inner biochemist – something I thought I had lost! I am fascinated by the way the chemicals in our bodies regulate themselves in a way that we don’t totally understand. I’m glad we’re almost done, and knowing that we’re this much closer to the end is a good thing.