how do you spell relief?

How do you spell relief?

p-h-a-r-m-a-c-e-u-t-i-c-a-l-s

I went to my family doctor yesterday about the pain in my hip/leg/butt. I now remember what muscle is the culprit - the piriformis. It is spasming and irritating the sciatic nerve. After sitting in the waiting room for 45 minutes, I was in significant pain and discomfort, which the doctor must have seen on my face because he wrote me 3 prescriptions for pain relief. One of these is for a delightful concoction of acetaminophen, caffeine, and codeine called Tylenol 3. Now I can still feel the pain but I just don't care very much about it. I can see why people get addicted to this stuff and will make very sure that I take them sparingly.

The other two prescriptions are for muscle relaxants to take at bedtime. By the time I was heading to bed last night, I was starting to think that the muscle was releasing all by itself. However, by the time I got up and couldn't bend over to put my socks on, I knew it was just as bad as before. The doctor told me that the piriformis is one muscle that, when it lets go, it does so suddenly and completely. I'm looking forward to it.

uncorked whine

I haven't been spending a lot of time on the computer because it hurts to sit down. Actually it hurts to stand up too but not as much as sitting down. I have had severe pain in my hip and wasn't going to even discuss it here but I'm past the point where I care if I come off whiny.

The thing is, I didn't do anything to hurt it, at least not that I remember. I had some pain deep in the hip joint (probably fibro pain) that I tried to work out by moving it. I think that's what did me in. I just came back from massage therapy and the chiropractor. They told me what the muscle was called that is causing me most of the grief but I can't remember the name of it. Whatever its name, it's affecting the sciatic nerve too, which explains the pain shooting down my leg. Therapy was likely a good thing but, right now, it just hurts like h***. I have adjusted my laptop cart so that I can stand at it to post this. Sitting down at this moment is not an option. I haven't found a drug option that will dull the pain either.

I think the worst part of this is that I can't sit comfortably. Therefore, I'm not comfortable doing the things that keep me sane, like knitting. So I spent some time making funky batts for this week's spinning class at Golden Willow. Normally I don't have much use for funky yarns so I haven't learned how to spin them. The class is a good excuse to step outside my comfort zone.

Here's the funky batt that I'll be taking to class.

Don't ask me what fibers are in it because I lost track as I threw in bits and dregs of fiber, cut up yarns, and angelina. The spool of woolly nylon will be the binder yarn.

Although knitting has been put on hold for now, here's the start of a sock that I was knitting from yarn that I spun in fractal stripes. I used a BeeMiceElf SW Merino top in the 'Scenic' colorway. I split the top lengthwise and spun one single as it presented, giving me long lengths of the repeating color pattern. I stripped the other single many times so that the colors repeated much more quickly. When knit up, it gives subdued stripes that remind me of pointillism art.

And finally, our extended summer weather ended abruptly on the weekend. So much so that I was worried that we might get frost last night. I sent Dan out to pick off the tomatoes just in case.

Roberta

Notice anything missing?

The Schacht Matchless has gone to a new home. I decided that the Ladybug was easier to treadle than the Matchless so it was silly to have both.

I can spin on my Ladybug and Majacraft Rose with ease but plying still makes my legs hurt. The solution: an electronic spinner.

Enter the Ertoel Roberta....
First of all, she's gorgeous!

Secondly, she works beautifully and I have great control over my spinning! I can spin heavy to very fine yarn on her.

Thirdly, she's quiet!

Fourthly (is that even a word?), she sits comfortably on my laptop table so can roll around the house to wherever I want to use her.

Fifthly (?), she has massive jumbo bobbins, a pause control attachment, and she can operate on regular house current electricity or 9 volt. The dual power is courtesy of Cal at Shuttleworks. I ordered the single power model but when it was ready to ship, Cal noticed that the finish on the one he had was defective so he sent the dual powered one at no extra charge, bless his heart. As always, I recommend Shuttleworks highly!

While Roberta will never replace my beloved Rose and Ladybug for spinning singles, I love that I can rewind bobbins and ply with the flip of a switch from the comfort of my recliner.

yipee!

I got an email today informing me that both skeins of handspun yarn that I entered in the "I Made It On My Schacht" contest made it to the finals. I heard that there were approx. 400 entries and 80 were chosen to be finalists. It's even sweeter because I had to enter in the 'Expert' category for spinners with more than 2 years of experience; I started spinning 3 years ago and I definitely don't feel like an expert yet.

Here are the skeins:

3-ply sock yarn, Spunky Eclectic Myrtle BFL

and

2-ply Cormo/Sheltie.

So the two skeins (minus Robbie the Sheltie) are en route to Colorado already for the final judging and will be on display from October 8 to December 1 in the Schacht showroom.

lazy Labour Day

It was the last long weekend of the summer and we spent it at home. After a hot spell that lasted a week and culminated yesterday with scorching heat and high winds (yuck, remind me to stay away from deserts), there was a noisy thunderstorm in the middle of the night that brought cooler temps today. The late summer days when the sun is bright and the air has a hint of coolness are my favorites. Today was one of those days.

The dogs and I spent some time in the back yard.

Austin has been busy blowing all of his undercoat this summer. He looks like half the dog he was before.

Robbie still has all of his coat.

Have I mentioned that shelties like to talk? A lot?
Notice the swishy tail - yup, talking is fun.

It was hard to get a picture of Bentley because he was so busy checking everything out and finding good smells. He deigned to look back over his shoulder when I called him.

And then there's Pocus.
I swear that dog could have had a career in modeling. He looks pretty darn good for a 12 year old dog, doesn't he?

regaining sanity

As you can see, the kitchen is freshly painted and put back together. I am glad. There aren't heaps of stuff on every available surface in the house any more and I can do things (like cook). Life is good. However, one thing leads to another and I think Geoff will paint the living and dining/computer room and hallways for us soon. It needs to be done and I'm thankful that he is available to do the actual painting but I'm not looking forward to having the house all rearranged to do it. After that, we will be saving to replace the carpets. The carpet is toast and I haven't been in a hurry to replace it what with having multiple dogs. But the state of the carpet is even starting to get to me so I guess it's time.

Our weather turned summery just in time for back to school. I enjoyed the cool summer but most folks are complaining about it bitterly. The forecasters tell us that there is an El Nino developing in the Pacific which would warm up our winter this year. I sure hope they're right!

In other news, I have a few spinning and knitting things to share with you.

This beautiful little spindle was brought back from the Isle of Wight by my spinning friend Carol. It's a light spindle at only 17 g but it spins forever! It rivals the Moosie for my affection. It's Tulipwood on Sycamore with a Walnut shaft. The fiber is Beach Day, the Spunky Eclectic July fiber of the month, a merino/bamboo blend.

I ordered the new Knit Picks Zephyr acrylic Options needles. I really like them! They're very light and a little flexible, and they have the nice points that the Options are known for. They have just the right amount of 'grab' to them, not as much as wood but less than metal.

I finished up the Spring Forward socks that I've had on the go for a while. I used Dream In Color Smooshy in the Some Summer Sky colorway. The yarn is lovely to work with and to wear. 'Smooshy' is right.

And finally, I pulled out the carder and experimented with some fiber to produce this batt. It's a blend of Optim, superwash merino, angora, and a touch of Angelina. It glints in the sunlight and reminds me of new-fallen snow.

thank you!

Mathilde in Norway left a comment for me today that she had awarded a blog award to my blog as being one of three that she enjoys! Thank you Mathilde!

Although the blog is written in Norwegian, I discovered that this site did a pretty good job of translating it into English. Will the wonders of the internet never cease?

a total mess

Well, everyone in this house is healthy this week so the kitchen is getting painted. Dan steamed off the old 80's wallpaper and Geoff applied the primer today. I also have decided to toss the curtains on the windows in the dining room (that has never served as a dining room and should more accurately be called a computer room) and the living room, and paint the window walls the same Aztec gold color as the kitchen. There is a mess everywhere now that all the pictures have been taken down, the bookshelves emptied and moved out of the way, and appliances etc. shoved aside.

See?

Notice the tired husband crashed in front of the TV.

I don't function well in a total mess and will be very glad when all is put straight again. I don't know how people survive major home renos.

In other news, between a complete physical exam and eye exam on Tuesday, I have been thoroughly examined inside and out, if you get my drift. Did you know that the new medical exam tables don't have stirrups? As someone who went through infertility tests in the '80s, it seemed very strange to get an internal exam without one. I feel like I spent a good deal of my earlier life with my feet in the air.

In addition to the blood and urine work at the lab I had the dubious pleasure of being handed the take home slides for a fecal occult test. Whoa. For those of you who have not had to do this test and might face it in the future, I have advice for you that will make it much easier (courtesy of google): put plastic food wrap between you and toilet bowl. Eww.

Both Dan and I had good news at the optometrist's office. His eyes lost their astigmatism, a lot, which is so rare that they repeated the test three times to be sure. That explains why he couldn't read anything for a while. And I have somehow managed to lose a cataract in the last two years. Good. We both have new glasses in the works so we will look much more trendy when they're ready.

happy dance!

Happy dance, oh happy dance!

Elizabeth is now on her way to her new home and I am so happy that it's such a good one! Monika and I have been internet friends for a while and Elizabeth is joining her family. Monika is an amazing spinner and knitter (and dog lover) and you can see her delightful blog here. I'm happy dancing because Elizabeth will be loved by someone who will be able to spend more quality time with her than my body was allowing me.

just call me gimpy

It's Elizabeth's fault. My sister Darcie decided that she would rather save up to buy herself a Majacraft Rose than buy my Ashford Elizabeth**. She already has the Maja Pioneer and she likes the idea of the accessories being interchangeable between her wheels. So the Elizabeth came home after a long sleepover.

I sat down to do some plying on her last weekend. When my right knee started to complain about the single treadle I just put both of my feet on the treadle to finish. So not a good idea. I woke up the next morning with tender butt muscles. Then I leaned over to pick up the Ladybug and something snapped. I seriously pulled my left butt muscle (I think the real name for it is the gluteous maximus). Whatever it is called, it hurts! I had no idea how much that muscle is used in everyday life until I hurt it.

At first, I thought it was kind of funny that I pulled my butt and figured a couple of days of going easy on it would do the trick. I am now at the seriously grumpy stage of this injury. It is showing no sign of healing and has developed this spasm issue that is going to drive me to drink. Meanwhile, Dan got sick, really sick for him, and went to the doctor yesterday to learn that he now has a sinus infection as a result of whatever virus he had (not H1N1, thank goodness). We have been a fine pair.

Then Geoff came home from work on Monday with a swollen ankle. He was coming down off of a ladder and didn't see a clear light bulb that someone had carelessly left on the floor, stepped on it, and rolled his ankle. The light bulb remained unharmed though which is weird. He was quite ticked that the light bulb didn't break because then his ankle wouldn't have rolled. His painting partner heard a pop and thought it was the light bulb but it was Geoff's ankle.

The original plan for this week was to strip the '80s wallpaper off of my kitchen and give it fresh coat of paint. Needless to say, none of us has been up to doing this so I don't think it's going to get done this summer. Oh well. My garden is also ridiculously over-run with weeds and perfectly good vegetables are getting old without being picked and there's nothing any of us can do about it.

Here is where I've been stationed for most of the week.
The seat cushion is memory foam and is the most comfortable place for my injured tush. Bentley is unimpressed that I haven't been able to lift the foot rest of the lazyboy chair so there hasn't been room on my lap for him.

To occupy my mind while dealing with a spasming butt muscle, I started to make the Elizabeth Zimmermann Baby Surprise Jacket. I'm using handspun superwash merino.
It is a very interesting little project. I have the how-to video to follow because EZ's instructions assume knitting knowledge that I don't have. I have been tempted to fast forward to where Meg Swanson shows how to fold it to make a cardigan but I've resisted so that I can try to figure out the puzzle myself as I go along. I think I can see how all this is to happen but I won't know if I'm right until the end. The handspun merino is lovely for this project - soft and squishy in garter stitch.

**Elizabeth is for sale again. $700 takes the whole shebang.

and just when you thought you've seen everything...

busty bride

and the polar opposite...

Ugh.

frou frou wedding

now that's a wedding dress!

I am blown away!

wooly wedding gown

just hanging around

Our weather has been decidedly unsummery. It's been much cooler than normal. Most people are upset by this fact but I like it. I'm not a heat person so the temps. suit me very well. We've only had the air conditioner running 3 or 4 days so far. Usually it runs most of July.

Aside from some minor home renovations, we've been pretty boring people lately. I've had trouble finding anything blog-worthy. So I took the camera to the sunroom to show you how the dogs pass their time.

Austin

Bentley

Pocus, posing for the camera as usual. He turned 12 a few days ago. He looks pretty good for an old dog, doesn't he?

I'm not sure where Robbie was when I had the camera out. He must have been snoozing in the house.

'all growed up'

I love to see what my hand-dyed yarn looks like when it's 'all growed up' so I was delighted to get an email from Ruth (ruthieknits on Ravelry) today. She sent me a picture of her recently completed River Rapids socks that she made using the Aubergine yarn that she bought from me before I closed the Dog Lover's Yarn Etsy shop.

I think she did a beautiful job on these socks! Her niece will be the lucky recipient. There are more pictures of these socks in Ruth's Ravelry projects.

And here's a pic of the Aubergine yarn in the skein. It was one of my favorites.

While we're on the subject of newly finished socks, here are the Van Dyke socks fresh off the needles. I liked this pattern a lot and will try making a toe-up pair from Wendy's book, Socks From The Toe Up, for myself with this gusset heel.

Tour de Fleece and sock

I have been able to stick to my goal of spinning every day of the Tour de Fleece including the rest days. It hasn't been difficult due to my total addiction to spinning anyway.

Here's the latest spinning in progress.

Spunky Eclectic "Selfish" shetland (June club fiber) being spun for navajo plied sock yarn. These are not really colors that I would have picked out but I'm enjoying spinning the fiber. Shetland is so easy to draft. It's fun to watch the colors pop on the bobbin.


BeeMiceElf "Daydream" merino. Yummy! It will be Navajo plied as well. I'm not sure what project it will be knit into yet.


Lakehouse Loft "Lavender Fields" Corriedale. This is also destined to become socks, 3 ply.


And I finished one sock of the pair that will be gifted to my wonderful friend and vet, Jo-Ann Liebe.
I used the BFL/nylon yarn that I dyed and then chain-plied to make it a heavier weight. The pattern is Van Dyke from Socks From the Toe Up by Wendy Johnson. Great pattern, love the sock! Now onto sock #2.

the hungry Moosie

My Moosie devours yarn! I have trouble putting it down. It's such a lovely spindle.

Tour de Fleece

I have been spinning for the Tour de Fleece. I have spun every day - some days a lot and other days a little. Here are some of the spinning projects from the first week.

SW Merino, Scenic colorway, from beemiceelf on Etsy. I split the fiber in half lengthwise and spun one half as it presented itself. I split the other half into thin strips and spun them for the second single. Plied together, one single has long color repeats and the other has very short color repeats. It was the first time I've tried using the fractal stripes prep for fiber. I don't think the striping patterns are very evident until the yarn is knit up. I'm planning to knit an EZ Baby Surprise sweater with it.

Some Romney top (Odysseus colorway, Sheepish Creations on Etsy)on the Golding spindle.

I dyed some BFL fingering weight yarn to knit socks for my friend and vet-extraordinaire, Jo-Ann Liebe, using her color choices. It's very pretty but I had a terrible time swatching it. It's very fine yarn and, to get a gauge swatch that I liked, I would have had to use 1.5mm needles or finer. So I decided to add twist to the yarn and ply the two 2-plied yarns together to make a cabled yarn. I'm much happier with it now.

And my Bosworth Moosie arrived in the mail! I've been on a waiting list for it. The spindle is made from shed moose antlers.
I raided my stash and found the perfect fiber for the Moosie's first spinning assignment. It's an Abby's Batt in the First Frost colorway - merino, baby alpaca, silk, and firestar - and it's the most beautiful batt I've ever seen! I bought it from someone destashing on Ravelry a while back. It's demanding to be spun laceweight.

Sunday at home

I cleaned off all three wheels the other day in preparation for the Tour de Fleece on Ravelry. I joined with the modest goal of spinning every day. I usually spin every day anyway so it's not a big challenge. My problem is usually stopping spinning once I get going. I spin until my body aches tell me to back away from the wheel.

Anyway, here are a couple of finished yarns off the wheels.

This is the Spunky Eclectic club Soul Windows, a SW Corriedale and nylon blend. I three-plied it for sock yarn - 23 wpi.

This is some more sheltie blend yarn. It's about 30% sheltie and 70% Cormo, two ply - 13 wpi. It's posing with one of peonies that's still blooming in the back yard.

I convinced Robbie to pose with it too. Cute, don't you think?

And on a completely unrelated note, one of my former grade 2 students posted on Facebook today that she was celebrating her 12th anniversary!! Egads! I can't possibly be that old, can I?!

Happy Canada Day!

The friendly neighborhood gargoyle is sporting his Canada hat today. We're glad to see him back after a serious accident beheaded him this winter. (Whoever is to blame for this act of vandalism, get a life!) We were wondering if he would be able to recover from this unfortunate incident. However, once the weather warmed up enough for the mending adhesive to work, he was back at his station as the neighborhood beacon. Love ya, gargoyle dude!

Happy 142nd birthday, Canada! I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.