stress...it's an understatement!

Stressed...that's all I can say! I feel like I'm being pulled in a 100 different directions right now. My husband's job is still requiring a boat-load of extra hours and now, so is mine.

I've told my supervisor that I'm at my limit and she tells me that everyone's "busy-ness" is their own perspective and she is expecting me to pick up where I can. Yes, because I'm not able to handle anything and when you look at what I actually do in a day, I'm just twiddling my thumbs. (insert a LOT of sarcasm) I am a nurse in a clinic. I work with a doctor who is the only person in his practice, which means I'm the only nurse in my specialty. Every other nurse in the clinic has another nurse in their specialty to help them...except me. Yet I'm told that I need to stretch a little farther and help out. So let's load my plate even more because I can actually manage my time effectively. I feel like I could pull my hair out and scream at the world right now!

And on the flip side, I'm told to take this as a compliment. She feels that she can push me more because I can manage a lot of different responsibilities. So at what point is it too much? At what point is it too much for me to handle my own specialty, help out another one consistently, help with the IT aspect of our clinic, plus handle my home life, with my husband working 60+ hours per week? At what point will it stop?

I know there aren't answers for this, but I sure wish there were. I've prayed and prayed and prayed some more. I've maintained the faith that God never gives you more than you can handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much. He has put me through much more but never all at once. If my home life was stressful, work was not. If work was stressful, home was not. So why both? I've lost my appetite and can't eat anything right now. I've lost almost 10 lbs in 2 weeks simply due to stress. So what do you do about it? All I can't do right now is just keep reminding myself...God never gives me more than I can handle...EVER.

Multicolored Striped Hat

Ok, so here's the pattern! You can make it any size by doing more 'increase' rows. It works the best with 6 colors. For this hat to look right from the outside, you have to fasten and weave off each row, except for rows 7 & 8, which use the same color.
 

 

 

 

Supplies:

Worsted Weight Yarn (I use I Love Cotton yarn from Hobby Lobby)
Size J/10 Hook (6.00mm)

Abbreviations:
Ch - chain

Sl st- slip stitch

Sc- single crochet

Hdc- half double crochet
Dc - double crochet
Dec- yarn over the hook, insert your hook in the next stitch, yarn over, draw the yarn through the stitch, yarn over,  

Fpdc- front post double stitch

Round 1: color 1, Magic Circle, ch 2, 10 Dc in magic circle, pull tight, Join with sl st to top ch of ch 2.
Round 2: color 1, ch 2, 1 Dc in same stitch, 2 Dc in each stitch around, join with sl st to top of ch of ch 2.
Round 3: color 2, ch 1, 1 sc in same stitch, *1 sc in next dc, 2 sc in next dc*, repeat from * around, Join with sl st to top ch of ch 2.
Round 4: color 3, ch 2, 1 DC in same stitch, 1 DC in each stitch around, Join with sl st to top ch of ch 2. (this is where you would continue to do 'increase' rows until you have the right size)
Round 5: color 4, ch 2, 1 Hdc in same stitch, 1 hdc in each stitch around, Join with sl st to top ch of ch 2.
Round 6: color 5, ch 1, 1 sc in same stitch, 1 sc in each stitch around, Join with sl st to top ch of ch 2.
Round 7: color 6, ch 2, 1 Dc in same stitch, 1 Dc in each stitch around, Join with sl st to top ch of ch 2.
Round 8: color 6, ch 2, 1 Dc in same stitch, 1 Dc in each stitch around, Join with sl st to top ch of ch 2.
Round 9: color 1, ch , 1 sc in same stitch, 1 sc in each stitch around, Join with sl st to top ch of ch 2.
Round 10: color 2, ch 2, 1 Dc in same stitch, 1 Dc in each stitch around, Join with sl st to top ch of ch 2.
Round 11: (this is a decrease row, doesn't matter how many between, just do 4 decrease stitches. i usually do a decrease at each "1/4th") color 3, ch 2, decrease Hdc over next two stitches, 1 hdc in each around with 3 more decrease stitches about 1/4th the way around, Join with sl st to top ch of ch 2.
Round 12: (another 4 decrease stitches) color 4, ch 2, decrease Hdc over next 2 stitches, 1 hdc in each around with 3 more decrease stitches about 1/4th the way around, Join with sl st to top ch of ch 2.
Round 13: color 5, ch 1, 1 sc in each stitch around, Join with sl st to top ch of ch 2.
Round 14: color 6, ch 2, .* Fpdc in first dc. Dc in next dc.* Repeat from * around. Join with sl st to top ch of ch 2.
Round 15: color 1, ch 2, * Fpdc in first dc. Dc in next dc.* Repeat from * around. Join with sl st to top ch of ch 2.
 
Fasten off and weave in all of the ends.
 
Add a cute button or flower for decoration!
 
Now let me tell ya, weaving in the ends is painfully redundant and tedious! If anyone knows of a wonderful way to make this go away, let me know...I'd take any suggestions!

If you need help determining the increase and hat sizes, here is a great website that I use almost everytime I make a hat!
http://www.slugsontherefrigerator.com/home/2011/10/how-to-design-a-hat.html 
 
Here's a quicker reference if you're an advanced crocheter who understands how to increase rows to the right size and just want to know which stitch to put in which row:
 
Rd 1: color 1, 10 DC in magic circle
Rd 2: color 1, DC
Rd 3: color 2, SC
Rd 4: color 3, DC
Rd 5: color 4, HDC
Rd 6: color 5, SC
Rd 7: color 6, DC
Rd 8: color 6, DC
Rd 9: color 1, sc
Rd 10: color 2, DC
Rd 11: color 3, Dec HDC
Rd 12: color 4, Dec HDC
Rd 13: color 5, SC
Rd 14: color 6, FPDC, DC
Rd 15: color 1, FPDC, DC
 
Can't wait to see what you come up with!

Please let me know if you have any troubles with this pattern!

Happy Hooking!

 

Libby

 

© 2012 Libby Burns, all rights reserved. You may sell items made with this pattern, but if you sell them online, you must link to this pattern. You may not sell this pattern or claim it as your own. You may publish or post a link to this pattern, but you may not publish or post this pattern in whole or in part.