Finding the Sweet Spot

 So what the heck does that title mean?   

Well, I started weaving again. I wove short 10- 15 minute sessions and then waited to see how my back responded to the motion.   Sometimes I had to take a day or two off, and then I'd try again.   It seemed to be going well overall and the inches were slowly adding up on the loom.   

Progress. 

Then I added more repeats and a bit more time.... and waited.   Soon I was weaving a full 20-30 minutes with rest breaks and some days an Advil and a day or two off.   

Feeling better about how things were going!

Then the 8 yard warp of 8/2 Venne cotton and linen wefts was all done and  cut off the loom!   All 2 1/2 pounds of it!

I had another warp all prepared and so got to work beaming it.   I took my time and slowly wound on with frequent rest breaks.  But there is bending to depress the brake peddle and movement back and forth between the back and front to shift my weights. 

Once it was beamed I stopped for the day.  That night my back grumbled and let me know it was unhappy, so I knew the next few days would be 'rest days'.   Then I woke to a very unhappy lower back and now I'm on an enforced healing / rest time period once again. 

It would seem that moderate to severe arthritic changes to my lower spine, with stenosis (encroachment of the nerves exiting the spinal column) is my new Boss and is very clear about telling what I can and can't do.  😢    There are some positives to this situation:

• I didn't herniate a disc like last time
• rest will settle things down in time
• I will weave again
• I have towels to hand sew and play with finishing
• I can thread and sley slowly when the time is right and 'Boss' says I can 
• My Hansen e-spinner is nearby and doesn't hurt me! 

I'd like to add that my husband has been very good at pitching in when I need help and donning an apron and cooking when I can't.   We're coming up to 40 years next fall and I think it might be working out after all ! 💕 😉  

So it's all about finding balance and being content to listen to my body.  I don't plan to quit or sell this loom so I must be patient.  No doubt there will be more set backs and maybe not. 

Finding the sweet spot much like we do on our looms when weaving......

Falling to Pieces

I was so happy to be finally returning to some normalcy.   Weaving again, even if for short periods and slower.    It takes me longer to weave an item and so I nibble away at the inches carefully. I was on towel number four of seven when I noticed an ache in my right shoulder that radiated to my top of my spine.    I stopped right away and used an ice pack and some advil. 

Next day I felt like a truck had run over my shoulder  and now the pain radiated down the outside of my bicep to my elbow and down into my wrist.

No, it's not frozen shoulder, but nerve impingement. I swear if I didn't have bad luck, I'd have none  at all! 

So for the past three weeks, I medicate, and apply ice packs and  no weaving or even spinning (as that's my dominant arm / hand).  I have been playing with drafts and designs.... and reading some of my weaving library. I figure that if I can't weave as much or as often, then when I do a new project, it should be something special.

Oh, and yes I'm feeling a tad bit depressed.  I already had a seven month holiday due to my lower back and stenosis so I thought I would be able to enjoy my life more again. 

NOPE!

I developed a ganglion cyst on my right instep and I can't even wear shoes. So waiting on a Doctor to deal with that and I'm certain it will involve needles and pain.  

Then my big toe on my left foot became infected and so I am dealing with that issue as well.

So.... yeah, depression is a thing.  😬

The blue gel icepacks are a life saver!  I rest one behind my shoulder and lay my elbow and arm on a second one and that's my evening in a nutshell. 

I do have two lace shawls to photograph but its been way too dark to photograph them properly so they wait patiently.

I had to pause my Etsy shop due to a nationwide postal strike..... so no joy there. Bah Humbug to all those concerned. 

I'm getting a lot of reading done and we have been enjoying the joys of streaming TV  .... with ice packs. 

For those of you who are weaving up a storm, throw one for me please!

In a Blink of an Eye

Things were ticking along.  Days getting longer, brighter and even warmer.... I was making plans,  winding future projects.  Finally getting my weaving groove back....

Then I was awakened at 1:30 am one night to find my Hubby in pain and before too long, called an ambulance for him.    That was the start of two to three weeks of  hospital ER visits, medical appointments and diagnostic testing and specialist appointments as he struggled to pass kidney stones.  The one currently trying to vacate is 8 millimetres  (that's this long: ------- ).   After a week something passed but tests show that both kidneys are full of large stones  and one is 2 centimetres! They want to get that one asap.   Then just over a week ago he woke to find he couldn't walk on his right foot and it was exceedingly painful.    Another week of rest and foot elevation before he could even get to the Dr and its gout.  It makes sense given his ability to make rocks.   There's a medicine for that and he's on the right side of that experience and now armed with glasses of water and a new diet.

Its a rather rough  start to the new year: a funeral and then all this...   We have been just dealing with things around here one day at a time.

So long story short, I have been nurse, cook, dishwasher, housekeeper, banker, laundress, and driver to appointments.  Not a lot of weaving going on and all of this was hardly anything you'd want an accounting of....   so no blogging for the past month.

All that being said, I do have some show and tell for you now.....

The warp is 20/2 silk in a lovely champagne colour from Treenway Silks. Its a pale pink at first appearance but then you notice a slight peach to it as well.  It was difficult to find a weft colour that didn't swamp the champagne but this slate grey 8/2 tencel from Webs has a soft way of picking out the pattern.

The draft is a 12 shaft twill from Handweaving.net #55861and modified by me to allow for borders.

It has a definite front and back side and while much darker, its quite attractive as well.

I knew that the scarves needed a little something extra and that possibly could have been beads.... but then the the zig zag of the pattern made me think of this fringe technique.  I think it goes quite nicely!

 For the second scarf I auditioned a few weft colours but none of them seemed to work with out dominating the silk.    Then my helpful Hub dug around in the stash and suggested this olive green 8/2 tencel.

It seems to work well with the champagne  and is a fresh spring like scarf!  Being green, it does tend to bring out more of the peach tone of the silk.  Its quite the chameleon.

Again, there is a definite front and back side to the scarf.

 I also used the same fringe technique on this scarf too and it seems to get first notice before the pattern, the colours....    Amazing how something so simple can grab the eye!

All yarns used came from my stash which was a nice treat.   I do have another warp just beamed and all yarns are also from the stash.   There's no danger of running out any time soon...  😊

 So its going to be a busy month ahead with ongoing medical stuff but the specialist is onto this and moving quickly.    Spring is definitely here and all the neighbours are out tidying up their yards, pruning and planting.  One neighbour has already mowed but its more of a move to clean the lawn than to cut the grass.    I'm drawing up a mental list of outdoor things to do like hose off the house and then clean windows.   Not just yet though......   first I'm going to see about throwing a shuttle for while.

Hellebore that bloomed in early January (Victoria, BC)

Our Best Friend

We have an Airedale terrier named Calli and I have spoken of her here on my blog a few times before.  She has a sweet temperament and even at seven years old, she still has a puppy like attitude.
Her vet sent us a reminder to get her booster shots and kennel cough vaccine done.  I booked an appointment and she went in for a check up.

She had been experiencing some issues to do with her skin and coat but since Airedales are known for this, we figured it was breed specific.  A test or two later, some talk about her food intake and daily habits and we believe she has Cushing's Disease.   No real need to treat her for it but she will be on a low calorie diet from now on.

A lump was more of a concern and after extracting some suspicious cells via a fine needle, it was decided to remove the lump and send away for full report.  So this past Thursday, Calli had surgery to remove the lump. Seems it was growing more inwardly than out so it was a larger mass than first thought.

She was very woozy and obviously sore when we brought her home that night. We gave her the pain meds and she stood for an hour or so until she was comfortable enough to lie down.    Both Hubby and I were up several times to check o her and she slept well from what we could see.   The next morning, she got up and walked like nothing had happened!    Dogs are amazing really...

Oh, she's napping more and for longer but she is back to her old self and wants to run and play.  That would be a big NO and so we have to keep things low key and encourage rest, with small walks on a leash.

The other big thing is no nipping at the drainage tube and leave the darn stitches alone!  She does not deal well with the plastic cones and generally bashes everything in sight trying to get rid of it. We opted for a onesie outfit.   Cotton with a touch of lycra, its a modern fashion statement for dogs!

After finding that she got her big nose and teeth in and under the leg opening and nipped off her drainage tube, we had to opt for an additional barrier.    This picture shows two nighties "MacGYver'd" (the art of fashioning a quick fix based on what is to hand, as shown in the TV series MacGyver.  The name of the show is now a verb!) on either end and cinched off while her onesie was being washed.    Now with the drain tubes removed we use the onesie by day and an extra nightie on her back end by night.

Classy huh? Hard to get a sneaky snout back there now!

Its going to be a long ten days to two weeks before the stitches come out!

We should have the pathology report by mid to late next week. *fingers crossed*

Edit August 1st, 2017:

We are feeling happy and much relieved! Phone call just came in from our vet: Pathology report has confirmed it was “stage one soft tissue carcinoma” but there are clear margins…. meaning they are happy they got it all. (15% chance of reoccurrence.) Now Calli must have check ups every 6 months over the usual annual visit. Big sigh of relief! Calli showed no signs that the tumour bothered hurt her. It was found by us as we brush and groom her... bathe her. We showed it to the vet and it was dealt with. So, handle your dog and cat often and get familiar with their normal bodies. It could save their life!

A Different December

Well, this December and the year of 2013 is drawing to a close! What a strange month this has been.

Fireworks on the Vancouver skyline

After much scurrying around at home to get ready, I went to Vancouver on the 13th  to look after my Dad post hip replacement surgery and found that he was delayed from being released from hospital. So my 'job' became driving to the hospital daily and assisting him there until I drove home nightly. Home was a hotel/ motel room, which was comfy but not home if you know what I mean.  Finally he was released to go home and the job of physically getting him to his place fell to me and my mini van..... and it all went very well actually. He's very fortunate to not have any stairs to navigate. I have some experience with all this as I had a left hip replacement in November 2001.

Once home, Dad settled into a routine and so did I.  I would arrive in the morning and would prepare meals, clean and keep him company. Dad and I had some great chats together.

I stayed in touch with Bruce by twice daily phone calls as I was simply too tired to write emails!  Then I lost the cell phone and that created a bit of a panic until we got it's service cut off and black listed.

Due to Dad's release being delayed, I had to add a couple extra days onto my stay as where he needed the help was at his home. My sister came and did some additional cleaning and vacuuming which was very helpful.  Dad seemed to be doing just fine and progressing, but at age 83 healing is a much slower process.

Finally on the 22nd I was driving to the ferry for home and despite the heavy traffic I got on the 3:10 pm ferry and  walked in the door at home at 7:30 pm. It felt *so darn good* to be home!   Bruce had lit up the studio so I could see my looms in there and I even took a minute to just sit with them.

my view coming home!

I was very tired  but the next day we had to get our Christmas groceries, then relax for the next few days. We had a prime rib roast beef on Christmas Day and made lots of phone calls to friends and family.

Our next treat was to go and see the movie: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug in 3D on the 27th with a dear friend.  Now that was great and we have agreed to meet up for the third and final part next Christmas.

We came home later that night to learn my Dad had been taken back to the hospital and now we are waiting to learn what is happening.

New Year's is just around the corner and we will be spending it with friends over a turkey dinner and hoping for a better 2014..

January is the anniversary of my starting this blog way back in 2008 and I think its time for a small celebration!
Anyone who leaves a comment on this post , and possibly another post between now and January the 8th, will be entered into a draw to receive one of my guest towels.  So be sure to leave a clear way for me to contact you.

Here's a taste of what you may receive.... it will be one towel and you will have a choice of colours.

PS: Bruce found the cell phone way back in the back of van where it had slid. The carpet in the van is beige and the black phone had slid to the only black spot where the seats attach and so it was hard to spot!  *phew*

Learning to Speak Airedalian

I'm still here! Sorry to neglect you, its just that life has been rather busy. When a friend writes me to ask how things are going, then I know I'm overdue!  Now I'm going to tell you a secret: some bloggers have draft posts 'stored' and so are reporting events and stories that technically are a week or three old. It provides a buffer for when life happens and time is tight!  Right now, I have no 'stories in the can' and I'm having to weave to give you something! Trouble is, I'm supposed to be taking it easy on my back, so the weaving is slower. Add to that, my new chair base hasn't arrived and I'm perched up on a pile of pillows and you have a very comical picture. No, I'm not showing you... you'll have to take my word for it.  In the mean time, I'm two thirds of the way through scarf two out of three. I'm making good time all things considered.

I have a nice satisfying roll building on the cloth beam. Click on the picture to see more detail.

I'm using black 8/2 tencel as my weft for the first two scarves and I'll try black 20/2 silk on the third. It will most likely weave up finer and narrower so I'm doing that one last.  But I have a big problem; a 45 pound problem:

Calli loves to play with the cheap street hockey balls and the game is always on! Red balls under the treadles, jammed under the chair legs. What makes it so darn cute is that she doesn't get greedy about hanging onto the ball and will give it to you if you ask her for it. Smart dog! If you have the ball, then you'll throw it.... right?!
So when not throwing the ball, or a stick on our walks, I have been trying to throw a shuttle! In between walking her three to four times a day which is healthy for both of us but does cut into weaving time. (I need to be mobile more so this is a good thing!)

We had a very nasty winter wind storm roll through here yesterday with wind gusts tipping the scales at 162 kph. That's Category 1 hurricane force winds. We broke out candles, filled the bath tub with water to flush with (we're on a well with an electric pump), and battened down the windows. The storm rolled in about 9 am and by 10 am we were in the dark and we stayed that way until 7:30- 8 pm that night. So what to do? weave!
The big loom is right by the bright window and so I climbed up on the bench and got busy. This is all I got done:

 Even with soft pillows the edge of the bench pressed into the back of my right leg and in a very short period of time, say ten minutes, I could feel the sciatic nerve tingling! I stopped right away and went and lay down  for half an hour. So that was stupid  huh? I had no pain before I did that....   My Louet Spring was sitting down in the dark end of the studio and it was hard to see. I put TV trays next to it with candles burning and wove for a time.

When the wind finally died down, we got this instead:

That's a torrent of rain, snow, and hail altogether and you would not be able to take three steps without being totally soaked. But its dry indoors and always  playtime!

Calli is settling in very well and as you can see, recovering from her spaying quite well. From the first morning after surgery, you would never know she had had it done. Amazing recuperation! We are learning to live together and what the house rules are and she's actually doing very well. Her obedience training is terrific and with some calm but firm repetition she's picking things up quickly, which is not bad for 10 1/2 months old and just entering her adolescence. Now we need to learn Airedalian!  I'm catching episodes of the Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan and he makes sense! I've been trying his techniques and so far, they work. I need to pick up on the doggy clues faster.  {Connor at his old age of 13+ years knew us thoroughly and I swear most of our communication was almost unspoken. Yes, he has us that well trained!)

So that's all for now and I'm hoping to have some real show and tell for you soon! Now won't that be exciting?

I'll be trying to weave with all this going on!

The best one is the ball you can't reach..... 

Dad has the video camera out... new baby in the house! Don't ya just love it?    :)