Walking & A Washcloth
Ok...
Yesterday, after writing my post, I put on my blue boots (Timberline), and grabbed my forearm canes. I went outside, and decided to make a few laps, around the yard.
There is a little bit of bad news, and a very big helping of good news. (I would ask which you would like to hear first. But, the chances of you being able to give an immediate answer, I fear, are slim to none. So, I will just go ahead, and start with the bad.)
Bad news:
Normally, when I go out for a walk, I am smart enough to take my phone with me. That way, should I fall, and have difficulty getting up, I can always call my sweetie, or mother...Anyone, to bring down the walker. (The walker is sturdy enough, for me to easily pull myself back up, on my feet.)
Anyway, I was down at the lowest part of our property. I would have to scream BLOODY MURDER, to even attempt to get the attention of my mother, or sweetie, who were both locked away inside the house. And, wouldn't you know...I fell. Go figure.
This time, is wasn't a fall, brought on by my foot acting out. There was no 'electric' sensation, shooting through the nerves in my foot. My ankle did not just randomly decide to go weak. Nope! This time, the fall was brought on by an outside force.
A gopher hole. It was hidden from sight. The grass, on our property is extremely tall, and extremely thick. It completely blocked the gopher hole, from view. I had NO way, of knowing it was there. Well...Not until I put my right forearm cane, right into it.
The cane sunk into the hole, about 3 inches. I didn't stand (pun MIGHT BE intended) a chance. I went down!
I pulled my cane, from the hole, and cursed up a storm. (The cuff of the right cane, slid up my arm, as I went down. This resulted in a nasty little rash, that today, is very purple.) I damned the existence of gophers...Digging their little holes, in the ground. They create hidden traps, for people like me. DAMN YOU, GOPHERS!
I reached my hand in my pocket, and became aware of the fact, that I did not have my phone. I had left it inside, on my black ottoman.
So, I struggled to get up, on my own. I strained, and tried my very hardest, to get back up, into a standing position. (I am very sure that, as I struggled to climb back up, I made some VERY ugly faces.)
Eventually, I got back up. Still condemning gophers, I continued my walk.
That was the bad news. I fell. I broke the no-fall record...All because of some damned little hole, dug by a HORRIBLE little gopher.
Time for the good news! (And, boy, IS IT GOOD!)
Once I was on blacktop, I decided that I would go ahead, and try a little 'experiment'. I mean, what was the worst thing that could happen? I would fall again? Big deal!
I lifted up my left forearm cane, from the ground. I decided to try walking, using ONLY my right forearm cane.
And, guess what? I did PRETTY DAMNED GOOD!!! So good, in fact, that I decided (a few hours later) to walk the same path, around the property...Using just the one cane.
And, while using just the one cane, I did not fall ONE SINGLE TIME!
THIS IS HUGE NEWS! I have successfully walked, using JUST ONE CANE! OH MY GOD!!!
Think about it. Up until October 2009, I was told that I would NEVER walk again. Walking was not an option for me...even with a walker. There was simply NO WAY. The wheelchair was my life. I would roll my way, through the rest of my existence. "You just need to accept it", one doctor told me.
Now, I am up! I am walking! And, I am walking, USING ONLY ONE FRIGGIN CANE!
After successfully completing my lap, around the property, I came inside. I went to my room, fell on my bed, and broke out, in this HUGE emotional mess. Tears of joy, fell from my eyes.I just bawled.
"You just need to accept it." To hell with that! I feel like going to visit that doctor, and throwing that same line, back at him. "Here I am...walking around. Yup, I am out of the wheelchair. For good. You just need to accept it."
An hour later, I stopped crying. My body simply refused to release any more tears. I composed myself, and went to my chaise, to begin my time, with the yarn.
The washcloth, was the first thing up. It was 4pm. Now, originally, I wanted to be done, with this washcloth, long before 4. But hey...I just had an amazing experience. I told myself that it was more than ok, that I was getting such a LATE start, with the yarn.
So...The washcloth.
Well, up until binding off, everything was going smoothly. I was happily working row, upon row, of single stitch.
And then, the bind off came.
To bind the washcloth off, I used the basic bind off.
I worked this bind off, not really focusing on the washcloth, at all. As I removed the loops, from the pegs...as I knitted, and knitted over, I allowed myself to think of the victory, I had just had.
And, as a result, of my wandering mind, the washcloth suffered.
The bind off got extremely tight. So tight, in fact, that it cinched together. Oops! My bad!
I looked at it, and allowed myself a half-hearted complaint. "Dammit!" Then, I decided that the cinched bind off side, while not perfect, will really have no damaging effect. I mean, cinched end, or not, it will still be a washcloth. A not-very-attractive washcloth. But, a washcloth, nonetheless.
And, I learned something, as I looked at it. Or, should I say, I re-learned something.
When it comes to yarn, NEVER approach, with a preoccupied mind. The end result, of doing so, will be a less than perfect project.
So...here it is. My botched up, crooked, single stitch washcloth.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theyarnproject/5464920767/
I had just finished the washcloth, when my neighbors swung by, for a visit. It was close to 5 pm, and while happy(ish), they decided to come by, I was not really wanting to visit. I mean, hello...I had a scarf, waiting to get started.
I quickly threw on my wonderful loom knitted hat, as they marched into the house. My hair was beyond a mess, and there was no way I was going to entertain guests, with my Disaster-Do, completely visible.
"Did you see his new hat?" My sweetie walked over to me, and moved his hands across hat. "He did this one, using a loom. Isn't it neat?"
My neighbors agreed, that it was, in fact, a nice hat.
Then, my sweetie said it.
"If you want one, just ask him. He will make them."
My God. I threw a look, which must have been completely FRIGHTENING! My sweetie changed the topic, VERY quickly.
About an hour or so passed, and the neighbors headed home. I looked at my sweetie, and said, in what I can only hope was a calm voice: "You REALLY need to stop telling EVERYONE, that I will make them stuff!"
"What's the big deal?"
(What's the big deal? Hello...You're kidding me right? I HAVE A FRIGGIN DEADLINE!A deadline, that I will NEVER reach, if I spend all my time, making everybody, friggin everything!)
I took a deep breath, and did a silent count, to 10. When I was fairly certain that I could speak without yelling, I continued.
"The big deal is that I am the one, working with the yarn. ME! And, you have absolutely no right, to offer up MY time, without my permission." Then, I thought, but did not say, 'if you want them to have all this stuff, then maybe you should FRIGGIN learn to work with yarn!'
Honestly! Does my family NOT understand what the word 'DEADLINE', means?
A few minutes passed, and I went to the chaise. I grabbed the red loom, and my Homespun yarn! I cast on 12 pegs, and started the scarf.
And, almost IMMEDIATELY, I remembered just how much I hate this yarn! I mean, sure...It is BEAUTIFUL, to look at. And, it is soft as anything! This is one of THOSE yarns! It is one of those yarns, that you see in a store. You pick it up, because it is SO pretty. You instantly notice how soft it is, and your mind starts imagining the wonderful projects, you could make with it. It is one of those yarns that has the ability to tempt. You can almost swear you hear it talking to you, as you are in the store, holding it in your hands. 'Buy me. I am such a great yarn. You know you want to work with me. If you give me a chance, you are going to love me. I am a total JOY, to work with.'
DO NOT LISTEN, WHEN THIS YARN SAYS THESE THINGS, TO YOU! It speaks lies. If, in fact, you do start to hear things like this, from a soft skein of Homespun yarn, there is but one thing you should do. RUN THE HELL AWAY!
To put it plainly, this yarn is NOT your friend. No way! THIS YARN IS EVIL!!!
I regret ever pulling this skein, from my stash. And now, I have to work, with it. My mom has already seen it, and is going on, and on, about how wonderful the scarf will be, with this yarn.
I think I may lose my sanity, using the Homespun yarn. It keeps catching, on the hook-thingie, with ALMOST every stitch. This results, in the yarn fraying and getting all fuzzy...And, me tossing a few curse words out. Definitely NOT fun!
An hour after starting work, on this scarf, I had all of 4 rows done. And, I HAD to stop. Knitting and purling, the Homespun yarn, on the loom, was STRESSING the living hell, out of me.
I know the end result will be beautiful. But, getting there may be a bitch!
After I finished row 4, and was done for the night, I looked at the sample picture, seen in the book. Then, I looked at my loom, to examine the width of the scarf, that I will make.
Once again...the photo shows something that, I am sure, is not worked, using the pattern, written out. The scarf in the picture, is full, and somewhat wide. My scarf will be nowhere near as wide. And, I am doing the project EXACTLY as the pattern is telling me to.
I think there is a conspiracy, going on. These pictures show us a finished project, that we will NEVER be able to duplicate. Kind of like the way the fast food commercials show these gigantic, PERFECT hamburgers. But, in real life, they are flat, and usually, look like they have been run over by a car.
Oh well...the scarf will be awesome. Even if it isn't exactly as I thought it would be, when I started it.
Well...Time to go. It is almost 11 am, and I have yet to take a bath.
As for today...
I will do more of the one-cane-walking, and will work on the scarf, some more.
Happy looming!
Yesterday, after writing my post, I put on my blue boots (Timberline), and grabbed my forearm canes. I went outside, and decided to make a few laps, around the yard.
There is a little bit of bad news, and a very big helping of good news. (I would ask which you would like to hear first. But, the chances of you being able to give an immediate answer, I fear, are slim to none. So, I will just go ahead, and start with the bad.)
Bad news:
Normally, when I go out for a walk, I am smart enough to take my phone with me. That way, should I fall, and have difficulty getting up, I can always call my sweetie, or mother...Anyone, to bring down the walker. (The walker is sturdy enough, for me to easily pull myself back up, on my feet.)
Anyway, I was down at the lowest part of our property. I would have to scream BLOODY MURDER, to even attempt to get the attention of my mother, or sweetie, who were both locked away inside the house. And, wouldn't you know...I fell. Go figure.
This time, is wasn't a fall, brought on by my foot acting out. There was no 'electric' sensation, shooting through the nerves in my foot. My ankle did not just randomly decide to go weak. Nope! This time, the fall was brought on by an outside force.
A gopher hole. It was hidden from sight. The grass, on our property is extremely tall, and extremely thick. It completely blocked the gopher hole, from view. I had NO way, of knowing it was there. Well...Not until I put my right forearm cane, right into it.
The cane sunk into the hole, about 3 inches. I didn't stand (pun MIGHT BE intended) a chance. I went down!
I pulled my cane, from the hole, and cursed up a storm. (The cuff of the right cane, slid up my arm, as I went down. This resulted in a nasty little rash, that today, is very purple.) I damned the existence of gophers...Digging their little holes, in the ground. They create hidden traps, for people like me. DAMN YOU, GOPHERS!
I reached my hand in my pocket, and became aware of the fact, that I did not have my phone. I had left it inside, on my black ottoman.
So, I struggled to get up, on my own. I strained, and tried my very hardest, to get back up, into a standing position. (I am very sure that, as I struggled to climb back up, I made some VERY ugly faces.)
Eventually, I got back up. Still condemning gophers, I continued my walk.
That was the bad news. I fell. I broke the no-fall record...All because of some damned little hole, dug by a HORRIBLE little gopher.
Time for the good news! (And, boy, IS IT GOOD!)
Once I was on blacktop, I decided that I would go ahead, and try a little 'experiment'. I mean, what was the worst thing that could happen? I would fall again? Big deal!
I lifted up my left forearm cane, from the ground. I decided to try walking, using ONLY my right forearm cane.
And, guess what? I did PRETTY DAMNED GOOD!!! So good, in fact, that I decided (a few hours later) to walk the same path, around the property...Using just the one cane.
And, while using just the one cane, I did not fall ONE SINGLE TIME!
THIS IS HUGE NEWS! I have successfully walked, using JUST ONE CANE! OH MY GOD!!!
Think about it. Up until October 2009, I was told that I would NEVER walk again. Walking was not an option for me...even with a walker. There was simply NO WAY. The wheelchair was my life. I would roll my way, through the rest of my existence. "You just need to accept it", one doctor told me.
Now, I am up! I am walking! And, I am walking, USING ONLY ONE FRIGGIN CANE!
After successfully completing my lap, around the property, I came inside. I went to my room, fell on my bed, and broke out, in this HUGE emotional mess. Tears of joy, fell from my eyes.I just bawled.
"You just need to accept it." To hell with that! I feel like going to visit that doctor, and throwing that same line, back at him. "Here I am...walking around. Yup, I am out of the wheelchair. For good. You just need to accept it."
An hour later, I stopped crying. My body simply refused to release any more tears. I composed myself, and went to my chaise, to begin my time, with the yarn.
The washcloth, was the first thing up. It was 4pm. Now, originally, I wanted to be done, with this washcloth, long before 4. But hey...I just had an amazing experience. I told myself that it was more than ok, that I was getting such a LATE start, with the yarn.
So...The washcloth.
Well, up until binding off, everything was going smoothly. I was happily working row, upon row, of single stitch.
And then, the bind off came.
To bind the washcloth off, I used the basic bind off.
I worked this bind off, not really focusing on the washcloth, at all. As I removed the loops, from the pegs...as I knitted, and knitted over, I allowed myself to think of the victory, I had just had.
And, as a result, of my wandering mind, the washcloth suffered.
The bind off got extremely tight. So tight, in fact, that it cinched together. Oops! My bad!
I looked at it, and allowed myself a half-hearted complaint. "Dammit!" Then, I decided that the cinched bind off side, while not perfect, will really have no damaging effect. I mean, cinched end, or not, it will still be a washcloth. A not-very-attractive washcloth. But, a washcloth, nonetheless.
And, I learned something, as I looked at it. Or, should I say, I re-learned something.
When it comes to yarn, NEVER approach, with a preoccupied mind. The end result, of doing so, will be a less than perfect project.
So...here it is. My botched up, crooked, single stitch washcloth.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theyarnproject/5464920767/
I had just finished the washcloth, when my neighbors swung by, for a visit. It was close to 5 pm, and while happy(ish), they decided to come by, I was not really wanting to visit. I mean, hello...I had a scarf, waiting to get started.
I quickly threw on my wonderful loom knitted hat, as they marched into the house. My hair was beyond a mess, and there was no way I was going to entertain guests, with my Disaster-Do, completely visible.
"Did you see his new hat?" My sweetie walked over to me, and moved his hands across hat. "He did this one, using a loom. Isn't it neat?"
My neighbors agreed, that it was, in fact, a nice hat.
Then, my sweetie said it.
"If you want one, just ask him. He will make them."
My God. I threw a look, which must have been completely FRIGHTENING! My sweetie changed the topic, VERY quickly.
About an hour or so passed, and the neighbors headed home. I looked at my sweetie, and said, in what I can only hope was a calm voice: "You REALLY need to stop telling EVERYONE, that I will make them stuff!"
"What's the big deal?"
(What's the big deal? Hello...You're kidding me right? I HAVE A FRIGGIN DEADLINE!A deadline, that I will NEVER reach, if I spend all my time, making everybody, friggin everything!)
I took a deep breath, and did a silent count, to 10. When I was fairly certain that I could speak without yelling, I continued.
"The big deal is that I am the one, working with the yarn. ME! And, you have absolutely no right, to offer up MY time, without my permission." Then, I thought, but did not say, 'if you want them to have all this stuff, then maybe you should FRIGGIN learn to work with yarn!'
Honestly! Does my family NOT understand what the word 'DEADLINE', means?
A few minutes passed, and I went to the chaise. I grabbed the red loom, and my Homespun yarn! I cast on 12 pegs, and started the scarf.
And, almost IMMEDIATELY, I remembered just how much I hate this yarn! I mean, sure...It is BEAUTIFUL, to look at. And, it is soft as anything! This is one of THOSE yarns! It is one of those yarns, that you see in a store. You pick it up, because it is SO pretty. You instantly notice how soft it is, and your mind starts imagining the wonderful projects, you could make with it. It is one of those yarns that has the ability to tempt. You can almost swear you hear it talking to you, as you are in the store, holding it in your hands. 'Buy me. I am such a great yarn. You know you want to work with me. If you give me a chance, you are going to love me. I am a total JOY, to work with.'
DO NOT LISTEN, WHEN THIS YARN SAYS THESE THINGS, TO YOU! It speaks lies. If, in fact, you do start to hear things like this, from a soft skein of Homespun yarn, there is but one thing you should do. RUN THE HELL AWAY!
To put it plainly, this yarn is NOT your friend. No way! THIS YARN IS EVIL!!!
I regret ever pulling this skein, from my stash. And now, I have to work, with it. My mom has already seen it, and is going on, and on, about how wonderful the scarf will be, with this yarn.
I think I may lose my sanity, using the Homespun yarn. It keeps catching, on the hook-thingie, with ALMOST every stitch. This results, in the yarn fraying and getting all fuzzy...And, me tossing a few curse words out. Definitely NOT fun!
An hour after starting work, on this scarf, I had all of 4 rows done. And, I HAD to stop. Knitting and purling, the Homespun yarn, on the loom, was STRESSING the living hell, out of me.
I know the end result will be beautiful. But, getting there may be a bitch!
After I finished row 4, and was done for the night, I looked at the sample picture, seen in the book. Then, I looked at my loom, to examine the width of the scarf, that I will make.
Once again...the photo shows something that, I am sure, is not worked, using the pattern, written out. The scarf in the picture, is full, and somewhat wide. My scarf will be nowhere near as wide. And, I am doing the project EXACTLY as the pattern is telling me to.
I think there is a conspiracy, going on. These pictures show us a finished project, that we will NEVER be able to duplicate. Kind of like the way the fast food commercials show these gigantic, PERFECT hamburgers. But, in real life, they are flat, and usually, look like they have been run over by a car.
Oh well...the scarf will be awesome. Even if it isn't exactly as I thought it would be, when I started it.
Well...Time to go. It is almost 11 am, and I have yet to take a bath.
As for today...
I will do more of the one-cane-walking, and will work on the scarf, some more.
Happy looming!