04.30.08
Posted in CTS/RSI at 6:30 pm by delipics
I’ve been reflecting on my knitting projects status.
I had a difficult past year with my CTS/RSI - trying to find the right doctor, going through physical therapy, worry that I won’t get better, etc. As someone who has been using her hands as an artist all her life, this was a huge stressor. I am so grateful to have healed under the care of a great doctor and PT. I am now mindful of my physical limits and taking care of my wrists/hands but - my past injury has made me very skittish when it comes to my knitting, crocheting or any other fiber work - and then I realized something (here comes the epiphany) -
I am afraid to knit a sweater.
I have been very happy with my projects since I’ve been able to begin knitting again but I’m afraid to knit something that isn’t a short piece of fabric. Where is this fear coming from? Is it fear of injury? Always a possibility but I am very careful to take breaks or to stretch. Fear of startities? Wouldn’t be the first time. Fear of seaming? There are patterns in the round.
As a first step in examining my reluctance to knit a piece of clothing, I decided to go to The Point. I did not go in with a plan. I decided to just look at the yarn, browse the book shelves and see what happens. I lusted after the Rowan Calmer yarn and then casually flipped through some pattern books. A couple of things caught my eye but I didn’t want to make a hasty decision, back to lusting after yarn. Then I slowly sidled my way back to the pattern books, should I, shouldn’t I? Yes!
I walked out with Classic Elite Yarns Summer Book 1 and Rowan Yarns Classic Summer Book Eleven. I’m smitten with the Four Season “Man’s” Vest (CEY) and the Ralph Shetland vest (RY). And then I realized something else -
Maybe I’m just afraid to knit sleeves?
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02.26.08
Posted in CTS/RSI, Knitting, Photos, cooking/food at 4:31 pm by delipics
As recommended by my PT, I have been wearing this:
It’s called a thumb spica. Darren has nicknamed it my Thumbelina. Luckily, I don’t have to wear it all the time. It does work; I’ve been wearing it for less and less time, but the healing from the original injury has taken a LONG time. I hope to be near the end of a long road, but every time I think I’m well I suffer a setback. I’m afraid to think it may be over. This has been incredibly unmotivating for my creative fiber efforts.
I may be unmotivated to knit but I am motivated to eat. Oh well, why fight it? Along with eating, I am cooking or reading about eating/cooking. I would say I have acquired a layer of winter fat due to the aforementioned activities. My latest literary tome of cooking is Simon Hopkinson’s book. Of course I have tried the roast chicken recipe! I splurged on organic, free-range chicken (albeit unwittingly - I thought they only sold chicken from the butcher’s counter and then 10 minutes later found less expensive chicken on display) from Fairway and it came out delicious. I like to read the sections of the books randomly, my favorites phrases have to do with the words bacon: sprinkle the bacon, wrap with bacon, saute the bacon. Did you know there is a connection between knitting/crochet and bacon?
I’ve also been leafing through Aliza Green’s book on produce. It is not a cook book per se yet extremely helpful when planning a dish or a dinner because it lists complimentary flavors or serving suggestions. For example, in a random opening of the book, cauliflower goes well with anchovy, butter, chervil, chives, cream, curry, garlic, ginger, Gruyere cheese, lemon, mustard seed, olives, Parmesan cheese, thyme and turmeric. I started toying with the idea of knitting veggies - I’m not the only one who is inspired by produce.
And because I like looking at all sides of a subject, I bought Kitchen Mysteries: Revealing the Science of Cooking. I’m on the egg chapter and now I know why I should add vinegar to the water when I poach an egg. So since this somehow became a post about cooking with knitting links, I give you this.
CTS/RSI + thumb spica + eating + cookbooks = Knitting. Who knew?
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01.27.08
Posted in CTS/RSI, Knitting, Photos, Scarf, Socks, Techniques, Yarn at 7:13 pm by delipics
Furniture shopping for dining tables
and wardrobes.
Going to The Point with Alex,
Buying yarn,
And eating.
Learning the Fair Isle technique at The Point, also with Alex,
which you can see is just a mess for me!
The good things from that day are: Barbara Kerr is a great teacher (her enthusiasm is contagious!), I learned how to knit on two circular needles and learned handy tips on provisional cast-on and knitting-in-the-round BUT I just couldn’t get the weaving technique. You know how it is - you understand it when you do it with the help of the teacher but the minute she walks away - poof! - the technique is gone from your head. I went home, ripped the whole thing apart and started over. I may take this class again if I can’t get this on my own at home.
I’m also trying to finish up Patty’s Scarf. I ran out of the yarn and it took me a while to buy additional skeins. I’m still working on small projects due to my CTS/RSI. It’s actually only RSI. I started back with physical therapy this month because I had a relapse. Things are on my mend and I will see an occupational therapist next for my thumb/index finger pain - fingers crossed - luckily it doesn’t hurt to do that!
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10.26.07
Posted in CTS/RSI, Rhinebeck, Sewing at 5:53 pm by delipics
I’ve been reading the blogs about Rhinebeck. It looks like it was the best one ever. At the last minute, I couldn’t go. Very bummed out about that. I won’t even go into it, it will take too long. I like to console myself by saying things like, I shouldn’t buy any more yarn or fiber. I mean my knitting and crocheting has been severely cut back since the initial CTS/RSI injury in the spring, it’s not like I’ve got a lot of projects planned for which I need more yarn. I mean really, I’ve got PLENTY of yarn. PLENTY. Oh, who am I kidding? I’m bummed I didn’t go.
BUT, I saw a new doctor about my CTS/RSI and started a new round of physical therapy with immediate improvement! This new doctor explained that while the previous doctor did a good job treating my symptoms, he thinks he’s identified the root cause, which is my neck/shoulder/upper back area. He said that part of the body is very complicated and if one thing goes wrong in the system, it effects everything - breaking into song here - wrist bone connected to the ulna, ulna’s connected to the humerus . . . Actually, it’s more of a nerve issue than a bone issue. The doctor did mention my pronator nerve. Back on topic - right away I could feel less pain. It’s not completely gone, but I can tell I’m feeling significantly better. This is a huge relief for me. Honestly, I think I was slightly depressed about the whole injury this summer (along with some other stuff but again, it will take too long to go into). I had this fear that if I went to a new doctor, he or she was going to tell me I needed to have an operation, long recovery, life-long hand problems - lots of personal drama going on in my head, but now I feel more optimistic about my healing.
This weekend I need to take photos to show off my new fabric (from here) that I bought at a steal. I keep meaning to snap the pics in daylight but when I wake up it’s dark and when I come home from work it’s dark, so gotta wait for Saturday. I may use one of the fabrics for the floor pillows - one side crochet and the other side fabric. I’d also like to start a new sewing project from my latest book purchase. Yes, it has mostly sewing projects, but it also includes fiber-related ideas such as recycled sweater hats and lots of felted projects like the felted silk scarves (I tried this once), a wool knit shibori scarf and an inlaid wool knit scarf.
Time to go and do the stretches my physical therapist told me to do . . .
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10.07.07
Posted in CTS/RSI, Knitting, Photos, Scarf, Sewing at 5:32 pm by delipics
TA DA!
This is slooow kniting. I started Patty’s Scarf about three weeks ago. I knit 4 to 8 rows a night, depending on how good the wrists feel, other nights I give my wrists a break. I wanted to have enough knitting to show before I posted. Baby steps but I feel very proud. I have to give kudos to Veronique. She suggested knitting five minutes a night. I had to give myself a “duh slap” - that’s so obvious right? I guess I was thinking I had to start with a meaningful knitting project when really, all I had to do was just start - so I did.
Here’s a close up of the pattern - circles - simple but satisfying:
The craftiness continues with the Kauai Pouch!
I got a kick-start to sew this pouch after I bought this button on vacation. As you can see, in the end I did not use it (gives me an excuse to buy more fabric to make something else with the button). I winged it with this pouch - no pattern, no measuring. I made a quick sketch and then I went at it with the scissors.
This project was a re-learning process. I used to sew many of my own clothes when I was in high school so the sewing process came back slowly but surely. I had to read up on zippers in my Vogue/Butterick sewing book, but otherwise, I was able to figure it out. I did a lot of basting to make sure I had everything pieced together accurately but only in the beginning. The last piece that I sewed on, the bottom, was definitely altered to make it fit.
The next time I try and sew another project pouch I need to design it to be larger. I like how I placed the zipper so the bag opens wide. Possibly add an inside pocket? Also I want to do a better job with the lining. All the seams show in this one, but I can live with it. The fabric that I bought for the lining I found at City Quilter. It’s because I of this fabric that I call it the Kauai Pouch.
The combination of the two fabrics designs remind me of of the days and nights while on Kauai. The outside for obvious reasons and the inside because it rained frequently at night. My honey and I stayed on the North shore of the island, the rainier side of Kauai. I remember the sounds of falling rain and the crashing waves of the ocean - my Hawaiian lullaby.
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09.17.07
Posted in CTS/RSI, Rhinebeck, Travel at 6:49 pm by delipics
Today I went to WordPress to see when I last posted . . . August 28th . . . what?!?!?!
I did a quick review in my head of what I have been doing since the end of August. OK, let’s see . . . oh right, there was the Labor Day weekend. The highlight of that weekend was hanging out at the Brooklyn Bridge Park and enjoying the gorgeous weather. The school year started which means general running around at work. I’m never prepared for the beginning of the semester. What else did I do? Ummm, the next weekend I left work early to travel to the Washington D.C. area for a big family event. Then I did something really crazy after returning home - three days later I took off for the West coast because I got a great price on a ticket on Jet Blue. Hey, if I’m going to get four days off work for the Jewish holidays AND I can find a decent priced airplane ticket then I am out of here. That’s where all the time went - phew! And geez, who scheduled the Fall weather to start while I was out in L.A.? Could I please be consulted on the date next year because I was totally unprepared when I walked outside of JFK, midnight flight arrival no less, and started to shiver.
With Fall officially off to a good start, I’m feeling very mixed fiber-wise. First, my CTS/RSI has greatly improved but frankly, I’m scared to start knitting or crocheting again. Even though the injury to my wrists was caused by computer work, I am irrationally afraid that to knit or to crochet will send me into pain spasms. While I was in L.A., I saw two of my cousins and we started to talk about CTS/RSI. I learned they both had operations on their wrists because of the pain and it has helped. Hopeful and scary at the same time because I can’t help to think, “What if?”
I have had two urges to start again - I found my Teva Durham crochet book under a pile of magazines and was inspired, and then tonight when Alex showed me the progress on her new sock - fun pattern, soft soft yarn in great fall colors.
On top of it all, I am going to miss Spin Out because I am traveling to a bridal shower that day (for a very good friend so it’s not a horrible thing to have to miss it) and I am still going to Rhinebeck (even though I don’t need to buy any fiber or yarn which seems kind of crazy to go if I’m not planning to buy) because my hon will finally be able to go with me and I’m also going to meet up with a different good friend up there.
It’s a quandary. It’s a fiber dilemma. It’s a yarn predicament. It’s a wooly situation!
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08.05.07
Posted in CTS/RSI, Uncategorized at 6:21 am by delipics
I had a dream I was knitting. I’ve never had knitting dreams before. I wish I could remember the complete context of the dream. I knew I was knitting because I held up the project to take a look at it.
Second opinion next week on the CTS/RSI - fingers crossed!
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