Crocheting again!

    Yesterday I started crocheting again! I'm continuing work on the Super Secret Project. It was weird at first, the hook was hitting my pinkie in a strange place. I'm not used to it any more. But I worked on it again today, and it was a bit better.


   It seems that the way I hold the hook, I use my pinkie for support. I think I was just resting it in the wrong place. It was resting right on the inside of the joint, and that's why it hurt. But today it was better, like I said.


    We shall have to see what tomorrow will bring. I'm just happy to be crafting again. I even knit two rows on the original super secret project, just to make sure I still knew how to do it.


    My shoulder has been pretty good, arthritis wise. I had a couple of days where I didn't stretch it out, boy did I pay for it. It seized up so tightly I couldn't even use my arm for a day. I went back to my stretching routine, but that day and the next it was extremely painful. Now I make sure I stretch it out at least twice a day.


   

I'm almost afraid to ask

    Remember that I told you that my arthritis has been acting up? It was every other day that I'd be in pain and discomfort. Well this week has been different. Today is my 4th day in a row with little or no discomfort. I am speechless. I'm still doing the stretch in the doorway about twice a day, just to keep the shoulder joint limber.


    Yesterday I was amazed at my good fortune of three days in a row. Today I'm just flabbergasted. What I'm afraid to ask it this: What about tomorrow?


    Today I spent a lovely two hours with my good friend Bonny, she was having a barbecue and asked me to come. Her husband's family is a hoot and a half. I ate some salad that I've never even heard of before. It's an apple and snickers bar concoction, with a sweet creamy sauce. It looked like potato salad, but it was really good. It had cinnamon in it too. I also ate a hamburger, and some real potato salad. I wasn't fond of the potato salad as it had hard boiled eggs in it, and I don't like hard boiled eggs. At least it had onions and celery in it.


    I've been reading like a fiend, I'm on book 15 of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. It's called The Harlequin. I just finished #14 this afternoon, after I got home from Bonny's. I can not state any stronger how great an author Laurell K. Hamilton is.


    I have these favorite sayings, I've said them for years. As I'm reading the series again, I'm discovering that I got them from these books!! I frequently use "Yippee Skippee", and my very favorite, "the ass-crack of dawn" is in there as well. When I worked nights it was the ass-crack of noon.


    And OMG it's September already! Where did the summer go?

Crafting frustrations

    I am getting frustrated in my crafting. Not all of it, just the designs of the brilliant knitter, and yarn goddess Elizabeth Zimmermann. I have so far only been able to make one of her patterns, the Pi Shawl. But there was a problem.


    I can not start anything on double pointed needles. I have tried, believe me. I get going, and as soon as I start thinking "OK, I think I got this..." there is the tell tale metallic TINK sound of the back needle sliding out and hitting the floor.


   In order to make the Pi Shawls that I made, I needed to cheat. Since I couldn't do the beginning on dp's, I had to improvise. I actually knit it back and forth until it was big enough to go on a 16" circular. Then I joined it and continued working in the round.


    When it was all done, I had a short seam I had to sew up in the very center of the giant circle. No one has ever noticed it.


    I have had problems with her pattern for the Baby Surprise Jacket too. I really want to make this, but I can't decipher her instructions. I hope someday that someone translates her "pithy directions" into modern knitting jargon that I can understand.


    Now for the most frustrating project. I want, so very badly, to make her garter stitch Square Baby Blanket. I have tried twice. This time there's no problem with the instructions, I got that. The first time I attempted this pattern, I used up all the really pretty baby yarn that I had, and was only into the 2nd quarter of the blanket. For months I looked for more of the yarn. NO ONE had any. It was like it disappeared off the face of the planet. I still, to this day, have not seen any more of the yarn.


    So I decide to try again, and buy lots of the yarn I chose. I'm not gonna run out this time! And what happens, as I'm in the 2nd quarter of the blanket? Well that's when my arthritis in my shoulder decides to act up. And I have to stop knitting. Hopefully it's only temporary, but I'm not holding my breath. For some reason I am destined to not make any of E.Z.'s designs except for the Pi Shawl. Maybe I'll start another one of those... I do have enough awesome black and white lace weight yarn to make a really big shawl.

Reading, Crocheting and Arthritis Report

   I am currently enjoying the 12th book of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton.  It's called Incubus Dreams, and like all the rest, it's really good.


    I actually crocheted today, in between bouts of reading. The day passed pretty quickly, and before I knew it, it was after 6 pm! I woke up at 4:45 this morning, which really is the ass crack of dawn. I made a trip to the ladies room, and then in my half awake stupor, went into the kitchen and turned on the coffee maker. I forgot that Hubs wasn't scheduled to work today.  I got back into bed, but couldn't get back to sleep, I couldn't get comfortable. I eventually got up and had some coffee. But by 9,  I was getting really tired even after two cups of coffee. So I went back to bed and took a nap.


    A few weeks ago, I noticed that the exercises I had been doing with the hand weight weren't working any more. I was at my wits end, I didn't know what to do next. The pain was becoming excruciating. Suddenly I had a thought. Couldn't I stretch the joint out in a doorway or an outer wall corner? I've been doing that now, and it's working! It seems like every other day I feel uncomfortable, which is way better than pain every day.


    I asked Hubs to model the move for me for a photo, so you could see what it looks like, but he wouldn't do it. So I had him photograph me while doing it:

    After this move, I usually turn sideways so I can stretch it out the other way. I usually do it in the bathroom, on my way out. It is really working. You may not be able to tell from this photo, but the  burgundy wall end that my arm is on actually sticks out about 4 inches from the short wall. That way, I can really step into the stretch.

A knitty problem

    I have only been knitting again for maybe two years. Something like that. Maybe 15 years ago, I tore the rotator cuff in my left shoulder. I actually did it in my sleep, HOW? I have no idea.... I had surgery, went through the physical therapy, all that.



    I thought that was the end of it. Not quite. No one ever mentioned to me the possibility that I could develop Arthritis in that joint. Now, all these years later, I got it. It hurts, a lot. I got a hand weight to use to help exercise and stretch out the joint.  It has really helped.


    Remember the other day, I said I was going to spend some time with Bonny and knit? Well, I did, and for the first time in a long time I got some time to just sit and knit. Now comes the problem. As I sat and knit for maybe 6 or 8 rows, my shoulder started to hurt. And then it hit me. That's why I have avoided knitting lately! I didn't even realize it. It hurts when it's NOT being used. It's insane. I have no idea what I'm gonna do about it, besides buy some Tylenol Arthritis.

Arthritis, another non crafting story

    A long time ago, perhaps as long as 15 years, I tore my rotator cuff. In my sleep. That's right, I went to bed just fine, and woke up the next morning in pain. I managed to ignore it for about 6 months before I nearly lost all use of my arm, and the pain could no longer be ignored.


    I had surgery to fix it. Fast forward about 6 or so years. Surprise! I developed Arthritis in my shoulder joint. They tell me it's common after joint surgery. They didn't tell me that little fact before I had the surgery, however.


    I learned that I must move the joint to avoid the stiffness and pain. For a long time it worked. Then abruptly it stopped working. If I sit for long periods, like when I'm knitting or crocheting, it really starts to hurt. The pain has even been disturbing my sleep. I'm a side sleeper. I start out on my right side, then move to my left side. I stay there until the pain wakes me up and I have to go back to the other side.


    Lately it's been so bad, I can't even sleep on my left side. I end up laying on my back, leaning to the left a little. However, I now have some help. A few days ago, my Hubs found one of the hand weights I had purchased for P.T. after my shoulder surgery. I cleaned it up, and I've been using it to exercise my left arm. It has really been helping. I am keeping it in the bathroom, and about every other time I go in there, I use the weight to exercise my arm, and move the joint.


    I hope to build the strength back up in that arm. I would be happy if it just quit hurting so much all the time. It is better already, however.