Brooke, adult hats can be done on a 20". If it’s smaller, or if you have to decrease the top, you can use the 2-circular needle trick with your one interchangeable set. Read this post.
Amy
Oh Amy, thanks for pointing out that post about 2 circs again. I want to try socks on 2 circs so I can eventually make 2 socks at once and I really didn’t want to go out and buy more circs since I have the Boye set.
I am SO glad to read that about the circulars. I would never have thought I’d run across that info on a blog thread. 
I spent an hour on eBay last night, looking for 16" size 7 circ’s, with no luck. :wall: I live in a little two-horse town, with Wal-Mart being the only craft resource, and all they carry in circ’s is about 4 sizes, all 29" in length.
There are a number of patterns I have lined up that I’m ready to try, but all call for sz 7 16" circ’s and sz 7 dpn’s. Wal-Mart carries NO dpn’s, but we do have a Home Depot so I’d thought about following Amy’s instructional video and making my own.
Oh, Amy, I immediately thought “vitamin deficiency” when I first began reading about your hair. It’s good that you’re seeking help. Another cause of hair such as you described is hypothyroidism. In fact, my (once healthy and beautiful) hair was doing the same as you described, which, along with decreased energy, is what prompted me to have my thryoid tested. That is probably not your problem, but it is a very common condition among women of childbearing age.
Amy said:
Brooke, adult hats can be done on a 20". If it’s smaller, or if you have to decrease the top, you can use the 2-circular needle trick with your one interchangeable set.
Thanks Amy, I figured the whole thing out with a little help from Kelly. ~Brooke
I was thinking along the same lines as Rennagayle. I have Hashimoto’s Disease, which is an autoimmune disorder that attacks the thyroid gland, causing hypothyroidism. The outer edges of my eyebrows were falling out, wierd stuff happened with my hair and skin. Yuck!
PS- I worked in an environmental laboratory, handling sewage treatment samples: vitamin pills DEFINITELY do not dissolve as well as you might want. I still take them, but eating the vites in actual food is better.
Thanks Sara & Rennagayle. The naturopath is checking my thyroid levels. She says hyperthyroid can lead to a cortisol deficiency, and would also explain some of my symptoms, so she’s checking both. I’m pretty sure my regular physician checked my thyroid already, so I don’t think it’s that; but we’re checking again anyway!
Good news on the hair front: I’ve discovered that just regular styling gel helps keep down “the frizz.” …Duh, I know, it took me a while. :doh: When I said I’ve tried every product, I meant hot oil treatments and conditioners and stuff. Nothing will keep my hair from being dry; but I’m discovering products to keep it looking neater. Woohoo! :cheering: I love my curls…when they look like curls (and not a big frizzy mass!).
OKAY everyone, some fun news here at KH. [b][color=red]I've got myself a manequin! [/color] [/b]Some of you may have read about this on the Knit Something Knotty thread. But what I don't think I've mentioned yet, is how I got her! ...
I actually posted a request to FreeCycle, and someone replied saying they had one for me! Not just anyone....it was actually the local Airforce Recruiting officer at my local mall! I got a kick out of this. We had to undress her of her army fatigues, and then carry her through the mall (disassembled into body parts, no less). We got quite the laughs and looks from people. The Airforce guy was funny, he was like "Yeah, if you want me and my cousin Vinny to cut up any more people into parts for you...." He was a riot.
KellyK won the unofficial naming contest, by naming the manequin "Knitasha." :)
Knitasha has just made her debut! I finally posted a picture a few minutes ago. Check her out, modeling some lengerie knitware I designed, the "Sexy Garter Pocket" set ([go here](http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1089&start=45)). [Later: I just posted these pics here too, scroll down.]
AmyYAYYY AMY! She’s FABULOUS! VERY sexy! VERY Knitasha!
Have you ever tried Aveda products? They have TERRIFIC environmental practices and their products are the ONLY things that ever got rid of my winter dandruff! As a bonus, everything smells good and planty! 
Thanks KellyK. Aveda, huh? Thanks.
I won’t talk any more about my hair for now, since I’ll get self conscious if I do! 
But I’ll keep you posted if the naturopath has any news.
I got the BEST compliment ever on my singing yesterday. I used to sing tenor, but have recently been singing the higher, trebble part. I’m pretty loud as a trebble, which seems to be somewhat rare.
Anyway, a middle-aged man I often sat next to in the tenor section was leading a song last night, and as I was singing the trebble part, he kept looking over to me and just beaming. So much so, that I’m sure I was blushing. Then at the end of the night he came up to me and said, “Amy, you’ve been a good Tenor. But you are a kick ass Trebble! That was (bleepin’) awesome!”
!! 
What a great compliment! It totally made my night! More than my night!! That’s a compliment I’ll keep in my pocket for a while. :mrgreen:
Okay time for some knitting pictures, this blog has been lacking. Here's some stuff I've been working on.....
[b]
Sexy Garter Pockets[/b]
[img]http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/images/patterns-asf/close-up-garter-pocket.jpg[/img]
Sexy Garter Pockets. Holds the cell phone & ID and cash; hidden for those nights when you don't want to carry a purse. As long as you don't mind having to reach a couple inches up your skirt to get to your stuff! :mrgreen: ...Not for everybody, of course! But if I get enough demand, I'll write up the pattern for y'all.
[img]http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/images/patterns-asf/garter-pocket-full.jpg[/img]
Here's a picture of Knitasha modeling a full lengerie ensemble, including the Garter Pocket set, to give you an idea of how cute it all can look. (These pictures made their debut in the [Knit Something Knotty](http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/forum/viewtopic.php?p=11695#11695) KAL thread, but I'll put them up here too.)
[b]Streamline[/b] Cell Phone Cover ([pattern here](http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/forum/viewtopic.php?p=11719#11719))
Front
[img]http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/images/patterns-asf/cell-cover-front.jpg[/img]
Top view, and back view
[img]http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/images/patterns-asf/cell-cover-details.jpg[/img]
Something else I just finished. I'm happy with this little pattern. A cell phone cover for my new flip phone. I've written up the pattern for y'all (a freebie) [here](http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/forum/viewtopic.php?p=11719#11719). Rather than having a button closure to keep the phone in, I made a simple buttonhole for the antenna to pop through, to keep it in place. Streamline and convenient; hence the name!
AmyAmy, you promised an up-close-and-personal pic of the lace pattern on your sexpot garters??? :eyebrow:
WHAT a nice thing to hear!! If you have any recorded, you should post some sound files of your group singing! Id LOVE to hear…voice is my favorite instrument, although I dont know how to play it. :shifty:
I don’t have anything recorded of myself, and there’s nothing online of my group singing, that I know of, except the video I shot (on the About Me page) which I’m afraid has horrible sound; I might have to take it down because of that. We do have some good recordings of our group, but nothing online. …Okay, I just emailed a friend to see if he’ll let me put a couple online.
In the mean time, here’s an mp3 of my current favorite shape note song, as sung by 4 women, members of the Vermont shape note community.
Ahh yes, a close-up on the lacework…
Now you’ll see how lazy I can be. Not only have I not blocked this yet, but I had it crammed into a little bag, and the piece is pretty wrinkly. So, try to ignore that, and check out the leaf patterning in the lacework.
LOVE that lace pattern!
The MP3 file wouldnt play for me!! 
I think Im having puter troubles here at work. Will try again from home.
mp3 worked for me. Sounded great and relaxing. I needed something like that right now.
Glad you liked it! I’m so enchanted by that song, especially that particular recording. It’s out of a different book than the one we usually sing from, so we rarely get to sing it. Soooo pretty.
AH! It worked for me at home…BEAUTIFUL! I really do LOVE harmonies…
I have lamented the availability of opportunities to sing in this backwater hellhole. I had thought about starting a shape note group, and now I’m thinking that this is really an excellent idea. I love how the harmonies remind me of Eastern European folk songs.
Those leaves are beautiful! Tights would be an interesting thing to knit, wouldn’t they? I’ve seen some antique examples of women’s stockings.
Hey Amy :waving:
I recently acquired a lil kitten, Jude. 
I was wondering what type of kitty litter you use. Being you like to recycle and use things that are safe for the environment, etc. Was curious.
In the past yrs. when I’ve had cats we had used scoopable clump (clay) type litters.
I’ve seen this commercial on Animal Planet a few yrs. back about “Feline Pine” which seemed like a cool thing. No/Less tracking, no/little smell, then use as mulch afterward. Cool! I told dh bout it…so we went with it. Has been working out well. I likey! :cheering:
In the past dh hasn’t let me have a cat cuz his concern is the litter box causing odor. So far so good w/ the Feline Pine. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that this works out for us. Dh likes that it’s natural, no chemicals, etc. Then we can go toss it near the plants out in the backyard. 
Just wanted to hear whatcha do with your kitty/kitties? Got one or more? Hmm…don’t remember. :oops:
Laters,
KNITBIT :XX:
Hey Knitbit… For kitty litter, I actually use wood shavings/saw-dust from a local lumber yard! I fill up a large plastic bin with it. Usually I get it for free, although I think I paid like $2 once. It works GREAT. It smells great. The cat loves it. I use a covered cat bin, with a cloth draped over it. My cat doesn’t mind having the curtain of fabric over the door, since she’s used the box in the past, it wasn’t a mystery to figure out how to get in. It creates a darker environment with the fabric, but she doesn’t seem to mind that either. The fabric totally contains any smell, and also hides the unsightly box altogether. 
I recommend it! I have a spot in the woods where I dump it to compost. (Not for later use, I don’t use that compost, I just like to return it to the earth.) The wood chips are a lighter color than the ground, so best to do it where it won’t be seen too obviously, like drag some branches in front to hide the pile from sight.
OMG, I’ve been so busy with site stuff and misc. business stuff, and whatnot, I actually haven’t touched the knitting needles in…man, like 2 weeks! I think things are settling down though, a little bit anyway.
I finally had my last day at my job yesterday. I’d told them to find a good replacement for me, and said I’d hang around until they did. It took a little while, but now I’m free, so I’ll have that time finally. Also, I’ve been volunteering at a start-up local food coop, to help get it off the ground, so that’s taken some time.
The pattern designing and DVD shooting has been going SLOW. The hardest part about pattern designing, is having to stop knitting when you come to a part you have to put a lot of thought into. I usually knit when I’m relaxing, so I resist designing at that time. Plus there’s the fact that I’m shooting video footage of parts as I go, so I have to stop for that too. I’m constantly having to stop! It’s a very different knitting experience. I’m still getting used to it. I miss the knitting that I can just plow through without stopping. I miss the long moments of knitting where I don’t have to think too much. Hopefully I’ll get more organized with my work-day time, to get the hard stuff done in the day, so I can relax more and just to the knitting at night. That would feel better.
I’m so excited about having moderators on this forum now!! (Our new “Mod Squad”. Hi ladies! :waving:) This is going to free up SOOO much needed time for me. And I know things will be well taken care of here. It’s such a great feeling!
AMY…I cant WAIT (of course, Ill HAVE to) for your DVD to come out…Im going to purchase one for my Assisted Living Residents. They formed their own crochet club & call themselves the “Happy Hookers”, but they are so INTRIGUED now that they see me knitting on my lunch (they have even invited me to join their group & named me an "Honorary Hooker!) Many of them have not knit for YEARS and I KNOW they would love to have your videos available!
Does this food coop have a website? That is SUCH a cool idea…Al & I almost signed up for one that we saw at a local Farmers’ Market, but with only the 2 of us, we didnt know WHAT we’d do with all those vegetables!!
You do SO much, Amy, for the benefit of others…and Im SO glad you gave me the opportunity to help out a bit!
I keep picking up books on training cats to use the toilet…I wonder how thatwould work? We use regular litter, but the super cheap kind… and sprinkle baking soda in with it; it doesn’t smell hardly at all (and we’re lazy about cleaning it sometimes) If ther was a saw mill within reasonable distance from my town I’d like to tyr that idea!
KK have youever heard of SHARE? It’s a food co-op, and all youjhave to do to join is volunteer your time back to the community. Here is a link to the Illinois county listings; there’s a bunch in cook county. I I got this from the Wisconson Share website; I wasn’t able to find one specifically for illinois, but there must be one. (of course, Lee country doesn’t have share, surprise surprise)
And since this is your blog… HI AMY! I 
you and KH!
Thanks Kelly. Glad you’re looking forward to the DVD, that’s inspiring.
Love you back Hildie! MUAH
Health update:
I just went back to this naturopathic doctor I’m seeing. She got the results back from my cortisol test, and it turns out my cortisol levels are dramatically low. She gave me a gentle herb that is supposed to make my cortisol last longer in my body so I don’t need to produce more for now, but I’ll feel like I have more, and in the end my body should just balance itself out after a few months on the herb. I’m so relieved! Finally I know what’s up with my body, and I have an easy treatment for it! She says my energy will increase quite a bit in the morning, which will also be very nice. If I understood her correctly, cortisol is what coffee triggers to give you energy; it’s somehow connected. It’s an energy booster. She says coffee drinking tends to lower your cortisol levels over time, which is why folks become dependent on it; so if any of you are wanting to get off of coffee, you might want to consult a naturopath (one who does cortisol testing) to help you get your cortisol levels back to normal so you’re not dragging for months while you adapt.
Oh yes, and the supplements she has me on have totally fixed my breaking nails! They worked in like a week! They must strengthen the nails from the nail bed, because they certainly haven’t grown out from scratch in that time. They are very noticably stronger, and growing longer again finally! Woohoo! I think it’s the Omega 3’s and 6’s I’m on, although the protein powder might be helping, I’m not sure, I forgot to ask. I’m also on a daily vitamin. I know the Omega’s are supposed to help my hair a lot too, so that will be nice, but I think my hair has to grow out to benefit, so it will be a while.
This weekend DH and I went to a sing at a historical society which was hosting a Civil War encampment. There were folks dressed up as civil war soldiers, who came to camp out and “drill” and fire off their old guns and stuff. A couple of our singer friends were running the event, and asked our group to sing at it, since this kind of singing was popular in that time period (for instance, if you see the civil war movie Cold Mountain, you’ll see Shape Note singing, with some folks in it that I know, in fact!). This sing was a really nice outdoor event. The best part was, our friends who run it have several BEAUTIFUL old costumes of the era, and promised to dress up any of us who wanted to come in costume! :happydance: Sheldon and I both dressed up (of course!!). Here’s a picture we took (doctored to look old). Of course we had to dawn the serious expressions of the time. Well, for one photo anyway. The rest of the pics are all very goofy and smiley.
Yes, this picture is of Sheldon and I!
