Extreme Knitting Redhead: And she's off!

Thursday, January 3, 2013

And she's off!

This year is going to be all about pushing myself out of my comfort zone and trying things I haven't done before.

So here are my starter projects:

Knitting project ready to start - the one-colour Jacki scarf in brioche stitch, by Nancy Marchant. This is going to take quite a bit of concentration so definitely not a project for TV viewing, at least not until I've got the increases and decreases in my head. The yarn arrived today and I will be casting on tomorrow.

Crochet - the overlay crochet cushion that I wrote about back in October but didn't start as I had lots of Christmas projects to get through. That will be my lunchtime project as it uses fine thread and so I need good light to do it.

Embroidery - I'm about to start a batch of little samples to mount on one of those box canvases with deep sides. The samples will be of anything that catches my eye and will be embroidered as and when I find something suitable.

Patchwork - I've sorted out lots of fabrics to play with for a 'crazy patchwork' cushion cover. I won't be starting this just yet but I want the fabrics ready and waiting.

Painting - Mike's got me doing paint effects on some of the plain frames he's bought for his paintings. I love doing this!

Running - I'm getting right into my latest training schedule and it's a tough one. If this doesn't make me faster then nothing will! I do, however, still seem to be having a few problems with my breathing so it's off to see the asthma nurse again. Today was 7 miles at marathon pace which is not easily done on my hilly routes.

Gardening - at last the rain has abated so I can get out there and do some tidying.

Mike and I went mooching around a secondhand bookshop yesterday and I pounced upon this wonderful book of knitted lace. The fly-cover may be tatty but the patterns are lovely. The author, Marianne Kinzel, was born in Austria but she left her home country in wartime to settle with her husband in England.

Inside, there is this beautiful dedication. I do hope that our country still provides a haven for those in need.

Flicking through the book reminded me that I must show a photo of a knitted doily thingy I made for a Christmas present but that will have to wait until another time.

Today I went to church to dismantle my tree. It still looked so pretty and even when I added it to the pile of trees in the churchyard waiting to be recycled, the little confetti snowflakes and their glitter still glinted and gleamed. My crocheted snowflakes have been packed away carefully for future use.

As there were only a few of us pottering around in the church I took the opportunity to take some photos of designs that caught my eye.

Terracotta and blue tiles

The tiny stained glass windows above the main feature window

The flowers are different in each set which I hadn't noticed before

One of several proud lambs around the chandelier

Ethereal faces

Glorious brocade fabric

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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.