TMI, and then crochet, I promise

First things first. This is your official warning that this post may be TMI (too much information) for some readers. If you are squeamish about "female issues," you may want to skip down.

Things that suck about no longer being on the Pill:
1. Cramps. They're back! When I was on the Pill, I very rarely had cramps. Now they're here, and they've decided to settle in my lower back. Fun!
2. Aunt Flo is a heavy lady.
3. Aunt Flo stays longer than she used to. I wish she would just leave already.
4. Every strange internal twinge makes me wonder "am I pregnant?" Even if it was just indigestion ("a bit of mustard," in honor of the season)

Things that don't suck about no longer being on the Pill (yes, I know that's a lot of negatives for one sentence):
1. Not having to remember to take that damn pill every day (although I do have to remember the pre-natal vitamins)
2. Not having to experience that icky queasy feeling when I'd have to take two pills at once (because I'd forgotten a day)
3. Not having to worry about whether forgetting 3 pills during the month is enough to get me knocked up. Apparently, it's not. At least not for me.

Ok, that's enough. This officially ends the TMI portion of this post.

Onto the craftiness. So I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel on my mom's sweater. I was "inspired" by this sweater I saw in the Anthropologie catalog:
I decided to crochet my version, rather than knit, mainly because I'm a better and faster crocheter. My version is basically three pieces: 1 piece worked sideways for the body, and 2 pieces worked vertically for the bust/sleeves. I chose to do my version in a simple single/double crochet combo (Ellen, is that the granite stitch? I can never remember).

I'm doing it 2-stranded, using a light blue faux mohair and a silver rayon cord, and it's turning out quite nicely. Pictures will come if I ever find my charger for my camera (or just buy a new one). I think I'm going to use a big pearl white vintage button from my collection for the closure.

I hope my mom likes it. I wonder (all the time) whether recipients of my homemade gifts actually wear them. I don't live near most of the people I make gifts for, so I don't really know. I guess that's not really the point, though.