Spoons & Stitches

So it's been a crazy couple of weeks. I got the whim to make my son a Batman hat b/c he loves dressing up as Batman. Why? No idea. I was unable to find a pattern though, so I improvised one using my knitting loom and crochet hooks. The outcome was pretty cute and never mind those dark hand gestures he's making. This last week I've been project-jumping like crazy. At first I was going to use up some stash making scarves, but got bored. I manged to make a panta headband, and that was quick. I also decided to make some gift card holders for Christmas, too. Now I'm wanting a more long-term project again. (And no, it would not be okay to finish the afghan I started last winter. What are you thinking?!?) I started on a little poncho sweater last night for our youngest niece. If I can ever manage to join the first chain without twisting I'll finish it I think.

So yesterday morning I was at work when I had what felt like a charlie horse. Only the spasming muscle felt like my left ovary! WTF? I haven't had anything like that in a long time. I'm not even sure it's ever happened before. It felt like my ovary getting strangled by some kind of rope and it was all I could do not to scream out. The rest of the day I was wary of it and skipped my workout lest I aggravate whatever it was. Every time I stood up it felt like it was on the verge of starting again. Fortunately, it's better today. Thank goodness! I'm just not in the mood for more doctors right now. I'm finally make some effort to get to bed early, but I'm realizing I still need more than 6 hours of sleep. I'm working toward getting to bed by 11, but this is a slow 15-minutes per night change. I hope it works b/c I really need to get more sleep. I am sitting here at work contemplating if I shouldn't maybe go home before I get seriously hurt. I've been...

I finished the Kigali Lace Wrap awhile ago-in fact, just in time for the 50's night at a friend's church. I wore it to the event and I was so glad! It was downright chilly there early on and that wrap is pretty warm. Some of the other ladies looked jealous. :) My next project I undertook was a sweater for Ian. It's been kinda slow going (if less than a month can truly qualify as slow), but I'm almost there. I just have to finish the waist-band ribbing and then add the zipper. I'm hoping to finish this weekend so we can go get family photos for the holidays. I've also started a special item for my sister, but it's for Christmas so that info has to come later. :P

So I've started a new crochet project- a kigali wrap . I'll start by confessing that I chose this largely because of my husband. He saw me looking at the pattern boutique on NaturallyCaron .com and he said this one looked HOT. I liked it as well as a few others, but decided to go with this one first for DH. :) Unfortunately, I didn't make much progress on the wrap tonight. The boys were up and down from bed and I had some other things to get done. Like dinner for Thursday night. (Hey, it reheats really well but takes forever to make.) I'm looking forward to tomorrow's crochet & knit group at work. I'm hoping to finish the third quarter of the wrap. After that I have a Golden Snitch washcloth to start on. The best part of the day-my birthday present from my mom. She's been so eager for me to get it and has been way excited about how much I'd love it. And she was absolutely right! She bought me a fantastic tapestry hook case and a set of rosewood cro...

Okay, I have to confess that I did set aside my knitted dishcloth long enough to finish my lacy Lapa pullover that I started awhile back. When I went to update the project details I was shocked to see that I started it in August. Only August? I thought it was way longer than that! Or, maybe it just feels like I finished it fast. :) Either way, I'm quite happy with the results. I'll get a picture up here just as soon as I figure out how. I've made more progress on the dishcloth, too. In fact, I have just three rows to go-then the dreaded Bind Off. I did end up ripping out once and then starting over, but since I decided to change colors it worked out better anyway. Pictures as soon as it's done.

So last night I saw a new group on Ravelry for crocheters that want to learn how to stitch (it's called I Wish I Could Knit! ). I joined it and started getting some suggestions from more experienced crocheters-turned-knitters. I got pretty excited about it (no idea why) and this morning I picked up some knitting needles and a new skein of cotton yarn. The suggestion that the other users gave was to try using the continental method. I tried it and was amazed to be able to say ... wait for it ... I DID IT! I figured a dishcloth would be an easy place to start, but heaven forbid I should choose a simple one, right? So I found a really cool one with a coffee cup picture in the middle. I did manage one unintentional increase, but I fixed it with a simple decrease and think I've got a handle on it now. I've completed the first 13 rows and I'm excited. I hated to stop tonight, but it is late and I do have to get up with the kids tomorrow. Plus tomorrow I get to finally meet Do...

I'm trying to get into a habit of posting here more often. We'll see if that happens. :) In the meantime, things are moving along. Monday was a wonderful day as I went through most of the day with no pain. No shoulder pain, neck pain, or arm pain. By none I mean it wasn't enough for me to take note of-it fell under the radar. Today has been tougher. I've had a nasty kink from my right shoulder blade to my neck since I got up. I've tried stretching, "cracking" my shoulder/neck, but all that really helps is laying horizontal. I'm thinking it might be from leaning forward at the computer. I'm notorious for that. I guess it might be time to ease the resolution on my computer at work. Ah well. If that fixes anything I'll be thrilled. My crochet has been suffering lately. I generally don't bother most nights b/c the kids get up so much. This week I'm trying something new-staggered bed times. Didn't help yesterday-the kids were still up ti...

It's been a crazy couple of months and I've found it near impossible to find time for all my blogs. On top of that, I'm a little shy about posting some of the things I am feeling. I've been dealing with an incredibly increased level of pain lately. In particular, my neck, right shoulder and right arm are on fire over 50% of the time. I can't sleep comfortably or work without pain. I feel like by the time I'm in the car on the way to work, I've expended half my spoons. It takes all my willpower to go to the gym, even though at least I've accomplished something if I do. Then I usually feel a little better, too. I generally get a spoon back after a workout, though I have to lose one just walking to the gym (1/4 mile). By the time this is over, I'm racking my brain trying to recall what I'm supposed to work on that day. I keep lists, but details get lost in my head. I've been taking ginkgo biloba and that has been helping. Some of the fog is lift...

Welcome to my new blog about stitching and spoons. What do spoons have to do with crochet, loom knitting and cross stitch? It's not what you think. I live with several pain and fatigue disorders, including fibromyalgia, tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and something that has yet to be identified. Spoons are merely a metaphor for living with these conditions. You can read about the Spoon Theory at ButYouDontLookSick.com . I enjoy various needle arts, including cross stitch, crochet, and loom knitting. As a teenager I remember making latch-hook rugs, too. Some day I'd like to get back into that too, since I definitely do not have enough unfinished projects at the moment. (Hear the sarcasm, people!) I'm opening this blog so I can post about my stitching and my spoons. I have other blogs, but most of my friends are probably not interested in whatever boring pattern I'm working on right now. You folks, on the other hand, might find it interesting and I am always looking ...