Extreme Knitting Redhead: Very excited!

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Very excited!

Oh yes indeed I am!

Crochet Club

First off, I've just joined up for Crochet Club 2013 with Jane Crowfoot. I am so excited about this even though it doesn't start until the middle of February next year. I loved the things they did in 2011 and 2012 and the teaser for 2013 looks beautiful. It was Jane who taught me how to hold my yarn for Fair Isle when I first tried it several years ago. I'd signed up for a Fair Isle class at Kangaroo.com (which used to be in West Sussex but is now based in France) but there weren't enough people interested so I joined the Intarsia class and took the Fair Isle glove I was knitting along for some advice. Jane explained the 2 handed technique really well and my tension has always been perfect since then.

I needed something to stretch me in my crochet as I'm a bit stuck in a rut. I've crocheted since I was a small child and I've made countless shawls, cardigans, coats, skirts, granny square/hexagon/ripple/flower afghans, we have enough vintage doilies (mum and I made many years ago) to stock a shop together with tablecloths/tea cloths/table mats with crocheted edges.

I've dabbled in free-form which I enjoyed and I loved making the flower cushion a few months ago but I wanted something different and the Crochet Club fits the bill nicely.

Of course now I can't wait to get started!

Pottery classes

I've signed up for a series of 10 ceramics evening classes in a village nearby. I dabbled in pottery in 2005 after mum died but those courses were not repeated and I've been searching for another ever since.

The first session was last week and I am buzzing with ideas which is brilliant. I'm starting out as a beginner again as I've forgotten a lot since I did it before. Back then I made several pots, vases, candle holders, wall plaques and 2 lasagne dishes (that we use a lot). I also made this birdbath which, so far (touch wood etc etc) has survived in one piece and has had lots of use as you can see -

Heart birdbath

As usual, it features a heart motif!

Frequent visitors

I've seen 4 ducks crammed in there at once.

Tinker

Tinker uses it as his outside drinking bowl.

We were given a notebook to record ideas and sketches and I've already drawn lots of things and pasted in some inspirational images. I know Pinterest is great but I love having a scrapbook that I can doodle in.

Running

My long run at the weekend went well and I ran at a decent pace without mishap. Today I did an interval session on the treddy and my breathing wasn't too bad. I didn't push the pace too much but I was pleased with how I felt. As it's only 3 weeks until Beachy Head marathon I really need to get my confidence levels up.

Crochet and knitting WIPs

My mandala is blocked and awaiting it's backing.

The woven blanket is getting a couple of rows woven whilst I have a coffee in the morning. It is starting to look lovely but the process of weaving is a bit tedious, especially as you have to weave each row twice.

The jumper is coming on slowly as I've been spending a lot of the daylight hours outside getting some planting done inbetween showers.

I know it's really naughty to be thinking about another project when these are still unfinished but I've just got Rowan Parisian Nights and I want to make several things straight away: Burgundy and Chablis have my name on them (and I have enough Kidsilk Haze in my stash to make them so it's not really naughty!) but the one that's calling to me is Chenin as I have the right amount of yarn in the most beautiful blue, shade 593, now discontinued I think, and it would make a lovely cardigan for evening wear.

I shall try to resist but I can't promise I won't succomb............

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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.