ME

February!

/ Loony Feminist / 2 Comments

I’ve been able to knit a little, which feels so lovely. Here’s a picture of the tension gauge square I did for the cardigan I’m knitting.

The garden is coming to life. Love it.

Here is a story about a log.

The cat goes to kennels when we go away, and in each cat pen they have a real log for the cats to scratch. What a good idea, I thought. Maybe that might stop her ruining our carpet. I kept my eyes open. One day, on my small walk, I saw some tree surgeons cutting down and chipping trees. I asked if they could spare one of their logs, and they said yes that’s fine. So I lugged it home, scrubbed it down, and put it in the corner on a towel so that the cat could scratch it.

Next thing, hubby informs me he cannot stand it. We are not living with a log in the room. Apparently. It looks awful. Imagine my glee (it was quite heavy). After a short while (!) we discussed it again, and we agreed it’s a bit big, and needs sawing down by a foot or so (30 cm ish). When hubby moved it into the garden to do this, he discovered it’s oozing sap. Yes it is, it’s fresh. So now it’s in the garden, weathering, and hopefully oozing all its sap before we get it cut down. I’m going to ask the gardener chappies if they could bring a power saw one day.

Hmph.

The old M.E./C.F.S has reared its ugly head and involved several days asleep in bed. I’m being much stricter with myself about how much I do and when. We shall see.

Also, picked up my new glasses. Very pleased.

Knitting and Me.

/ Loony Feminist / 1 Comment

This is something I have just sent off to Betsan Corkhill, from Stitchlinks. Thought it might make a blog post. So here it is.

I’m 59. I’ve knitted since I was 6, having learned at school from a very stroppy teacher, who got very cross when I made a mistake. 6-year-olds do make mistakes! But my mum helped, and her knitterly friends helped too, so gradually I built up my techniques and confidence.

I never thought of knitting as anything but fun until I became ill in my forties with M.E. (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) (along with a list of other maladies!) and was medically retired.

At that point it became important to feel useful, even if only in a small way. Knitting provided that. For a long while I couldn’t even do that. I couldn’t concentrate for long enough to even cast on.

Gradually, though, I was able to knit more and more. I mostly knit by hand, but also had a variety of knitting machines over a ten year period. Machine knitting is a whole different skill. Not sociable – too noisy. And you really need to concentrate to make it all work. Once the machine is set up – just so – it’s fine, but then halfway through a piece of work it will knot up inexplicably, or all the stitches fall off the machine, or something else dreadful/terminal will happen. So I used to have to go away and knit in solitude.

Eventually I sold all the knitting machines (I had a maximum of three at one time) and reclaimed the space for a sofa-bed in our spare bedroom. I was able to redecorate the whole room, by myself (over a period of time, of course), reorganise the hand knitting stash, and now I’m back to my “first love”.

Hand-knitting is a very sociable pastime. You can sit and watch tv and knit, chat and knit, drink tea and knit.

It feels so therapeutic to be able to just sit down, pick up the needles and knit something. Even if it’s just one or two rows at a time, it all adds up. I keep my projects relatively small – the largest one recently was an Aran (shortish) jacket in Bergère de France Magic + in turquoise. I absolutely love it. It’s all cabled, and the cabling is done over 2 x 2 rib. Complicated, and took 9 weeks, but that’s ok.

Currently I’m knitting for various small children and babies. Very satisfying to do because nothing takes very long at all. I find it calming, productive, creative, and even when I don’t feel great, I can usually pick up my needles and knit. And if I can’t do that, I can browse Ravelry or my knitting magazines for ideas and inspiration. Lovely.

Eighteen months ago a local yarn shop opened up a seven-minute walk from our house. Excellent! I’m just so lucky. They have Stitch & Sip sessions three times a week – I try and go to one of them at least. I’ve made new friends, learned new skills (knitting with beads, in the round, shawlettes) and I love it.

I even cover the shop on a voluntary basis for the odd half day while the owner is teaching a course. I make cakes for their events and from time to time I bake for the Stitch & Sip sessions too. It’s lovely to feel involved and helpful and useful in the different little ways.

Gardening is important too, for similar reasons, but I’m only a fair-weather gardener. Knitting I can do whatever the weather!

What? more than a month?

/ Loony Feminist / Leave a comment

2014-04-29 16.00.02 2014-04-27 14.47.31 2014-04-27 14.46.59 2014-04-27 14.46.51

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can’t believe it.  It’s May already. The garden is bursting into bloom and I love it.

I’ve been knitting quite a lot – new summer top just blocking, waiting to be sewn up. Photo when it’s done. Also halfway through a Wingspan – I think this is the third I’ve knitted. Lots of projects in my head, lots.

The shop (Stitch Solihull) is taking part in Love Your Yarn Shop this Saturday – if you live in/near Solihull, West Midlands, come along. Back of Notcutts on the Stratford Road. Cake, discounts, mini-workshops – lots of fun to be had.

I went to a lampshade making course there and am delighted with the lampshade I made. Now I want to buy kits to make four new ones for the lounge table lamps. Very exciting.

But I’ve had another M.E. episode. Lots of sleeping, feeling very very low, not able to do much at all. Had to send my apologies to a lunch I was going to in Coventry on Wednesday. Hmm. And I’m not sure what caused it. Usually I have an idea of why it’s happened. Not this time. I am feeling better now though but I know I need to take it easy and be careful. Hmph.

 

What? over a month!

/ Loony Feminist / Leave a comment

My last blog was 11th January. Can’t believe it! time flies, does it not.

The weather here, as you will know wherever you live, assuming it’s been on your news, is appalling. We live in the Midlands, and although it’s very wet, we have no significant flooding. It has been raining for weeks and weeks without stopping. It’s cold, miserable, and depressing. Spare a thought for the folks whose houses have been flooded with smelly river water, raw sewage, and who have had to go and stay elsewhere. The emergency services have been doing a sterling job, even the army has been called in to help. There is some frustration and resentment because there’s a feeling that London gets all the attention, so as soon as the Thames starts to flood, and all the posh people in their posh houses are being flooded, that’s when things start to happen. Meanwhile, in the south-west and the north, things have been dreadful for weeks.

I’ve been busy too. Knitting intermittently (wonky hands), made a couple of greetings cards, back episode (involving a trip to the osteopath), M.E. crash, but life seems to be looking up a little now. I am being more strict about how much I do each week, and make sure I have at least two days with nowhere to go. I set myself little tasks each day – for example, on Wednesday I ordered the week’s shopping on line, and made two greetings cards. That was enough. Thursday – I did two small sewing repair jobs and typed up the minutes of a meeting. Plenty.

My hands are very dry, as well as wonky. I guess the weather isn’t helping. But it’ll pass. And I have lots of hand cream.

The cat is currently going bonkers. Each day, about this time, she goes into a sort of manic mode, jumping about, scampering everywhere, chasing her tail and making a lot of noise. We just let her get on with it. All the cats I have ever known do this.

I am picking up my new glasses on Monday. Ridiculously excited about it. Then I’m going to potter around Solihull and see if I can find some thick black tights to wear with my longer tunics and my little Ugg-style boots. YD has been on and on at me for years to try and get me to do this, but I didn’t have any tunics long enough.  Now I do. Not really a leg person. Have worn nothing but trousers for over 20 years now, apart from very hot days, which involve long skirts. So an adventure, taking me slightly out of my comfort zone.

Report on degree of success with this to follow . . .

Update on This and That.

/ Loony Feminist / Leave a comment

Fetched car from the garage today. It’s 14 years old now, and needed some welding done to it. But I love it, it’s just perfect for me. It’s an old Ford Ka, in very dark purple.

The alarm system has finally been fixed, with a further visit (this was the third) from the alarm company.

Finally managed to sort out a keyboard for our Tivo box – it’s an Apple app called Peanut Plus (why?). It replicates the remote control configuration and provides a proper QWERTY keyboard. For £1.50. Excellent. So the £12 wireless keyboard which didn’t work has gone back. Result, I’d say.

Had a brief but rewarding conversation with The Husband about the socks I was knitting him. He wasn’t that keen and I was hating knitting a boring rib in a boring colour. So that project has hit the dust and has been unravelled. I’ve started another project, for a Christmas present, so no photos yet. But it’s in a fabulous colour, called Sunset on the Horizon and has cheered me up no end.

However, I’m in the middle of a small M.E. crash, which isn’t good. I’m sleeping until lunchtime and then slobbing around all afternoon. Hm. It’ll pass, when I’ve had enough rest.

The Christmas sewing project went so well I’ve extended it a bit, and bought some more fat quarters. But now have no energy to actually do anything with them. Yet.

Still haven’t been able to plant any bulbs yet – maybe next week.

That’s it for now.

August 10th 2013

/ Loony Feminist / 1 Comment

Mugginess gradually decreasing, although still plenty warm enough for summer clothes. The cat is very keen on catching and eating butterflies. Not such good news for the butterflies, but it keeps her very fit.

Went to the hospital this week and saw the orthopaedic surgeon about my arthritic knuckles. Apparently the X-ray was “fine” so they’re not going to do anything. I was very disappointed at the time, but have recovered since then and have decided I’ll ask the GP if physiotherapy would help. Meantime I’ve ordered some cod liver oil and glucosamine tablets to see if that helps. The pain is pretty bad, and each time I straighten or bend the finger I can feel the bones grinding. Mm.

The new computer arrived, and is set up, and working fine. Couldn’t wipe the old hard drives though because the old pc kept shutting down. So hubby sorted them out with a chisel and a hammer, and now they’re unusable. Freecycled the old pc case full of motherboard, memory, power supply, etc, to somebody who might well get it working, and the monitor stand. Love Freecycle.

Have had a large sort out of my yarn stash, and am feeling pretty virtuous. There is a Women’s Refuge which needs yarn so it’s going there. Excellent.

The socks are going well. Hoping to try one on younger daughter tomorrow, then I can finish them off.

Had a back episode about a week after the M.E. crash. It lasted five days, but the osteopath sorted me out. Still not quite back to normal, but much, much better.

Have just read a book called “Stoner” by J Williams. It’s absolutely unputdownable. I read it in a day – I was at the hospital for three hours, so had plenty of time to sit and read it. It’s wonderful. I don’t know anybody who’s read it who doesn’t think so. Highly recommended.

Went to Sip & Stitch today (the knitting group at the local yarn shop) and had a wonderful time, sitting, knitting, drinking tea and chatting. And eating biscuits of course. Am just about to go and make tea. Smoked salmon, beef tomato and salad. And baked potato for hubby.

That’s about it for now.

Forgot.

/ Loony Feminist / Leave a comment

I meant to say on yesterday’s blog, and then forgot. Last week I had an ME/CFS crash. It involved sleeping most of every day and then all night. I had to cancel everything I’d planned to do and just leave it till I got better. Some days I couldn’t even shower and dress, because that’s a major “task” when I’m like that. It’s easy to feel depressed and useless, too, but I decided it would just pass. It took all week, but it did pass.

I thought I had been very careful, having a sleep every afternoon and only doing one “thing” a day, but clearly not. I suppose it builds up over time. I had already had to stop going to the knitting group twice a week, and have started going on Thursdays one week, and Saturdays another week.

But there we are.