Extreme Knitting Redhead: The knitting part is finished.......

Monday, January 28, 2008

The knitting part is finished.......

.....now it's time to weave in all those pesky ends! When I started the 'Modern Quilt Wrap' I diligently wove in the ends as I did each square. Sadly this good habit didn't last very long and I soon resorted to leaving them dangling free. Never mind, with a bit of good light and determination I'll soon have them darned in. Proper photos will appear when that is finished.

On the running front, I did a very pleasant 20 miler along the lanes yesterday. It was a glorious day. I left home at 7am with the moon still in the sky, watched the sun rise, ran a few miles then returned home at 11am to finish off wallpapering my office. I was rather tired so it took some determination to do the papering, but all the climbing up and down ladders seems to have stretched my legs out and they feel really fresh today.

After my run today, it was so lovely that I dragged Mike out for a walk as soon as I got back. Sometimes you simply have to enjoy the beautiful weather when it's with you. I just had to take a photo of these little beauties who were gamboling around without a care in the world. There is something really uplifting seeing the first lambs of the year. I expect some people will be thinking about mint sauce (not me though as I'm a vegetarian!) but I think of all the lovely wool they'll produce for us knitters.

Part of our walk lead us through the pine woods and Mike took this rather moody photo. I love the darkness that envelops you in a pine wood and the pinky/amber glow of the pine needles on the ground against the blackness of the tree trunks. I've seen many modern paintings that look just like this view. Very arty!

2 comments:

TutleyMutley said...: God, You've got so much energy!
To go for a walk - AFTER running 20 miles?!

The afghan looks beautiful, btw. YOur mog evidently thinks so too.; January 31, 2008 at 3:55:00 PM PST
Linda said...: I'm so very sorry I missed the past 6 weeks of your blog. First, you live in the most beautiful area! The landscape is breathtaking. Second, the wrap is fantastic. Now that I've seen yours I have to make one also. I considered the Oregon Cardigan when I first saw it but it would be my first real fairisle and I thought it was a bit complicated for a first try.
Thanks for all the great photographs.
Linda; February 6, 2008 at 10:24:00 AM PST

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Mum's Story

In 1997 my mother, then aged 81, had a series of minor strokes. Shortly after that we started to notice behavioural changes notably memory loss and confusion over everyday items. We thought it was just old age finally catching up with her. Then she started wandering and had violent mood swings. Although she already lived with us it became obvious that she couldn't be left alone for long and so I left my job to care for her. The next few years saw a gradual decline into the blackness that is 'vascular dementia'. My normally placid mum became violent and aggressive. She had psychotic incidents where she would see imaginary people (children hiding in her wardrobe, Russians sitting on the stairs, women stealing her clothes) and she would shout at them and sometimes throw things too. She was so convincing that we used to go and check that there wasn't anyone there! When my sister died mum did not know who Judy was or that she was her daughter. There came a point when I suddenly realised she no longer knew that I was her daughter and this was a terrible time for me. In the last 2 years that she lived with us, life for us all became almost unbearable as she needed 24 hour care - she couldn't be left alone at all because she would either wander off or hurt herself, she never slept for more than 30 minutes at a time during the night, she became incontinent and incapable of doing anything for herself. Finally my husband and I realised that we could no longer provide her with the care that she needed and she went to live in a special care home where the team did a splendid job caring for her in the last few months of her life. There she lived a zombified existence unaware of who she was, what she was or where she was. It was heartbreaking. She died in March 2005, the day after her 89th birthday.

Thank you for taking the time to read mum's story and I hope you'll dig deep and sponsor me using the link below to help find a way of beating this destructive disease.