Extreme Knitting Redhead: It's a hoot

Thursday, June 23, 2011

It's a hoot

At last, a photo of my Owls sweater! Please excuse my just-washed hair-do but this was a very hurried shot.

I decided to only give alternate owls their eyes and I quite like the effect (although I do have enough to give the other owls their eyes if I decide to).

It's such a clever and simple design, as all the best designs are and a very quick knit indeed.

On the training front, this week saw the start of my 16 week schedule for the Liverpool marathon and it is radically different from usual high mileage plans. This plan has less runs but each run is much more focussed. On the non-running days I have to cross train doing something such as cycling (I use a static bike), rowing or swimming (I haven't swum for about 15 years and am absolutely rubbish so I may not be doing this!). The idea is that you are not just running 'junk miles' for the sake of clocking up lots of miles and the cross-training keeps you fit whilst giving your running muscles a break.

As I've always ended up injured when I've done speedwork plus high mileage it has to be worth a go. We'll see anyway.

At the moment I'm playing around with patchwork hexagons for a cushion cover and I must take some photos of them. It's great fun and uses up those small bits of fabric that you can't bear to throw away but are too small for a major project.

2 comments:

Linda said...: I love it! My school mascot was an owl and I've loved them ever since.
And the colour is fantastic.
Good luck on the Liverpool marathon. The training plan sounds like a good one.; June 23, 2011 at 5:19:00 PM PDT
Shan said...: I have been wanting to knit an owl sweater for ages but I don't think it will be a flattering design for me....I am kind of stocky and definitely top-heavy. Maybe I'll adapt one for my daughter instead! Yours is gorgeous.; June 27, 2011 at 10:25:00 AM PDT

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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.