At work, I tease my coworkers and tell them that I have psychic powers. Mostly, this is because I've been there long enough that if someone starts to ask me a question I can usually tell what the question is before they finish asking it and nine times out of ten, I have the answer.
The posts about Grandma's box have been sitting on Blogger in draft form for months. My uncle sent us the box right before Christmas, but between the multiple computer implosions and moving and the suck that was the beginning of the year, I never got around to loading the pictures into the post so that I could share it. When I finally sat down to do it, it still took me three days because Blogger didn't want to load the images.
But that's not the point. The point is, after waiting months, I finally posted something about my mom's family, about someone who was dear to me even though I didn't get to know her as well as I would have liked. Most of the people on that side of the family are like that for me--I seldom get to see them, but our personalities just match.
This morning, I got a call from my mom. Her brother, my uncle, had a heart attack/stroke. She described it as "mild" though I don't know how a combination heart attack and stroke can ever be mild. I guess that's what the doctors call it when you're still alive to tell the tale and not permanently disabled.
Uncle Steve is probably my favorite person on the entire planet. He always makes me laugh, and he never takes anything too seriously. Unfortunatly, in the past couple of years, he's been dealt some really, really shitty hands (no other word for it) and hasn't been taking care of himself.
He's been released from the hospital. Evidently all of this happened on Wednesday, but because he doesn't have any friends or family to speak of near him, there wasn't anyone to call us until he got home.
I would give anything to be able to go up and see him right now, to spend a summer with him like I did in college, but that's not going to happen. I had to save for a year just to get to Cincinnati, and I'm still completely wiped out from that trip, financially speaking. It is unlikely Mom will be able to go see him, either.
So do me a favor and hug someone close to you tonight, because I can't.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The Box Part II
The box of my grandma's things contained only two objects other than photos. The first was a plastic box with some old pins and a charm in it--likely in memory of Ettiene. The charm has a name on the back, but we have no idea who Raymond is, and I'm not entirely certain of the significance of the pins, other than they are probably related to the Royal Canadian Air Force. The other thing was her wallet. This might not seem like much, but you don't know my grandmother. I presume that at some point it held money, but instead we found all of those little papers...shoved into that little wallet. To say that it was stretched to bursting would be an understatement.
(And no, after these photos were taken I did not get everything back inside).
A few highlights...
A hospital bill from 1963 for a total of $3 for services rendered:
Her ID.
A collection of bus and subway tickets, and two learner's permits--one issued by the Province of Quebec, and one from Michigan, from the brief period when she and my grandpa lived there, around the time they got married.
Speaking of which, we found a receipt that we're pretty sure was for their wedding bands (Blogger is having issues with letting me load the photo, unfortunately). Both of them together were under $32. Current gold prices are something like $1,300 an ounce.
A "Backseat Driver's License," which would have been given to her by her husband, and made us laugh. It's a trait she carried well into her old age, and the card itself is a classic example of my grandpa's sense of humor.
This is a receipt for a shoestore, dated 1963. It is for a pair of specialty shoes that my mom wore when she was little, thanks to a birth defect in her knees. The cost of child-sized orthopedic shoes that year? $7.40.
A pay stub:
These letters were also in the wallet. From them, and the dates of various receipts, it looks like she carried it from 1958-1974. Mom and I haven't gotten to translating them yet from the original French.
There were two of these, and we aren't sure how she came by them, since as far as we know she never left the Great Lakes/Niagra region of North America. They are raffle tickets sponsored by an Irish hospital, and direct the bearer to listen to a Dublin radio station to see if they are a winner.
While Mom pieces together the faces and names from the photographs, I've put myself in charge of the wallet. It's fascinating seeing these little bits of history, pieces of my grandmother's life long before I was born. Seeing where she went, who she was in contact with. There were at least a dozen business cards, including one from the Canadian Consulate in Detroit. Tucked into a pocket were two keys, presumably to one of the many appartments she lived in over the years. At least four different addresses are represented on various pieces of paperwork--a HydroQuebec electric bill, a Western Union wire transfer. Scraps of paper with notes on them, a slew of receipts. Some of her notes are in English, most are in French. There's even a help wanted ad tucked away for a job she might have been considering at some point.
I leave you with this, which sums up my grandmother's pride pretty well. She was always very proud, both of her own heratige, and of the American side that my mother inherited through her father. This was folded up among the other detrious:
It is an article about a Canadian woman, age 34, who turned down a ladyship (is that the right word?) in the UK because she was so proud to be Canadian that she didn't want a British title. I'm still trying to translate the article and find out more about the story to see why she was being honored in the first place.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
The Box, Part I
Have you ever seen those shows on PBS, or sometimes TLC or DIY or somesuch, where people research random old stuff they'd found? Glass bottles in the attic that belonged to a doctor who once owned the house, or a civil war rifle that belonged to a distant relative?
I love those shows. And I kind of feel like I'm in one.
A while back, we got a box from my uncle up in Canada, my mom's brother. I'd only seen this box once before, but as soon as the packaging came off, I knew what it was.
This old wooden box was found among my grandmother's things after she died. It's full of old black and white photos of people who died long before I was born, and in most cases, before my mom was born. At any rate, we only know who a handful of the people in the pictures are. They range from the funny:
to the sweet:
to the slightly creepy:
and hit everywhere in between.
This guy shows up quite a lot. Doesn't he look like he's about to whip out a Tommy gun and go looking for Capone? We don't know who he is, but I suspect his pictures are some of the oldest in the collection.
This is one of the few people we could put a name to: Ettiene Cabinaugh. I don't know much about him other than he was in the RAAF in WWI, and was shot down over France. We have a certificate and a letter from the RAAF commemorating his death, and a letter from one of his fellow soldiers that reads like a short eulogy, talking about his personality and the fact that his sister and mother would send him bottles of wine by baking it into loaves of bread. After his death, a ring was found in his possessions, intended as an engagement ring for his girlfriend. It was passed on to an aunt and eventually to my mom. It appears to be cut glass, but it's still pretty.
My mom and I are going through family records, trying to piece together who is who and when some of the photos were taken. From the dates, we know that they range between 1937, mostly up through the early 60's, with a few from the 70's and 80's.
This one is familiar. I think I've seen this park before. At a guess, I would say that it is somewhere in Montreal, I think off of St. Catherine, but I couldn't say for certain. Mom also thinks it is familiar, but thinks it might be in Windsor. Anyone else want to hazard a guess?
I love those shows. And I kind of feel like I'm in one.
A while back, we got a box from my uncle up in Canada, my mom's brother. I'd only seen this box once before, but as soon as the packaging came off, I knew what it was.
This old wooden box was found among my grandmother's things after she died. It's full of old black and white photos of people who died long before I was born, and in most cases, before my mom was born. At any rate, we only know who a handful of the people in the pictures are. They range from the funny:
to the slightly creepy:
and hit everywhere in between.
This guy shows up quite a lot. Doesn't he look like he's about to whip out a Tommy gun and go looking for Capone? We don't know who he is, but I suspect his pictures are some of the oldest in the collection.
This is one of the few people we could put a name to: Ettiene Cabinaugh. I don't know much about him other than he was in the RAAF in WWI, and was shot down over France. We have a certificate and a letter from the RAAF commemorating his death, and a letter from one of his fellow soldiers that reads like a short eulogy, talking about his personality and the fact that his sister and mother would send him bottles of wine by baking it into loaves of bread. After his death, a ring was found in his possessions, intended as an engagement ring for his girlfriend. It was passed on to an aunt and eventually to my mom. It appears to be cut glass, but it's still pretty.My mom and I are going through family records, trying to piece together who is who and when some of the photos were taken. From the dates, we know that they range between 1937, mostly up through the early 60's, with a few from the 70's and 80's.
This one is familiar. I think I've seen this park before. At a guess, I would say that it is somewhere in Montreal, I think off of St. Catherine, but I couldn't say for certain. Mom also thinks it is familiar, but thinks it might be in Windsor. Anyone else want to hazard a guess?
Friday, May 10, 2013
In Case You Missed It
Lots going on this week, so I just wanted to do a quick recap for anyone who might have missed out.
I think that's everything. See you Monday!
- I'm entering a contest to win $5,000 for my business. To see what exactly that would mean for me, click here. Please vote for me and share the link, since the person with the most votes wins and at last count I only had 18! (By comparison, the person I discovered the contest through has 400+.)
- After many years, I've finally given Yahoo! the boot. My new email is KnotMagickKnitter AT gmail DOT com. I'll be phasing out the old address over the next several months.
- If you've been paying attention to the top of the page, you might have noticed a new tab--classes. I'm now offering a selection of knitting classes. For more info, you can email me at my new address
- Another tab up there has changed as well: If you click on the "Patterns" tab you'll see that I've got a new pattern for sale! Charlotte is an entrelac cowl pattern, suitable for those new to the technique or those with more experience. The pattern is available both through my blog and through Ravelry.
- Lastly, that same old poll is still going in the sidebar. I'd really like to hear from more than two people, so take a moment to click a box!
I think that's everything. See you Monday!
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
RSI and Knitting Part II
If you missed part one of this series, you can find it here.
**DISCLAIMER**
I am not a doctor. The following are simply a list of things that have worked for me for managing my own pain. Your mileage may vary. Please consult with your physician before starting any kind of treatment plan.
That being said, many of these suggestions are very common treatments, and most were recommended by my mom (former occupational therapy assistant), my chiropractor, and other knitters/crafters suffering from similar ailments.
----
Okay, so last time we talked about what to do once you're in pain, but how do you keep it from happening in the first place?
Preventing the Pain
1. We've all heard it, but how many of us actually do it? Take a break. The recommendation is usually 15 minutes for every hour spent working. Put down the knitting and go do something else. Take a dance break and "shake it out" as one of my teachers would say. This is also a great time to do some of the exercises listed in #7.
2. Look at the way you knit. Is there a way you can economize your movements? For example, if you're a picker like me, are you sending several inches of your right hand needle into each stitch, rather than just the tip? Can you make smaller movement with your left hand?
3. Learn a new style of knitting. If you knit continental, learn English and vice versa. Look at Peruvian knitting. If a specific movement is what is causing you pain, see if there's a way around it. For me, purling is difficult, so I learned a couple of different purls, and also how to knit backwards, which really helps, and then I found a way to get purl stitches in the same manner.
4. Look at your tools. Instead of using big, cumbersome straight needles, try using circulars for larger projects (or just in general). I know that I can only have 1 project at a time on needles smaller than a US4, because that fine detail work will get to me after a while.
5. Look at your yarn. Vegetable fibers and most acrylics have every little give, which is hard on hands. Work with natural fibers whenever possible. Wool is best, but alpaca and angora can be good, too, and don't forget to look at blends. Bamboo and milk fiber are other good options for those with animal allergies/vegan knitters. Stay away from cotton and linen except in blends where they make up 5% or less of the yarn. Silk is also best when blended.
5B. Along those lines, I mentioned spinning. If you learn to spin your own yarns, you can control the twist and therefore affect the elasticity of the final product. Also look at indie dyers/spinners on Etsy, since many of them are willing to adjust fiber contents or make a yarn thicker, thinner, or more/less spun to meet their customers needs. It never hurts to ask.
6. As I said, I tried knitting with wrist braces, but they restricted movement way too much, so I made these. They are intended to be quite tight (but not so snug that they cut off circulation!) and that provides both support and warmth which helps keep fingers and wrists nimble. NOTE: These are made a quite a dense gauge. If you are in pain, these are NOT a good project to work on. Save it for when you are feeling better.
7. Lastly, exercises. Here are a few of my favorites:
A. As soon as my wrists start to feel fatigued, I put my hands together in front of me “prayer style” (palms together, fingers skyward. Then I slowly lower my hands until my elbows and wrists are all in a straight line and hold for 20 seconds. This stretches those muscles and helps relieve the tension.
B. To strengthen those muscles, push ups are the best solution I’ve found. If you can’t do a full push up on the floor, then any time you’re waiting on the microwave or for water to boil, just lean against the counter and do 10-20 from a standing position.
C. Another one that is great for not just wrists but also your shoulders and back is to clasp your hands behind your back, weaving your fingers together, palms out. Reach back and up as far as you can while slowly bending forward at the waist. Make sure you keep your back and neck straight, and don't go any further forward than a 90 degree angle.
D. Lastly, sit at the kitchen table or at your desk, and lay your arm on the table palm down. Now starting with your thumb, raise each finger one by one and put it back down. This will help keep any RSI from going into your elbows, since when you have it in your wrists you tend to overcompensate by using other muscles.
Don't push so hard that it hurts; you should just feel a slight tension on the muscles. Hold it there, and then try again in a few minutes. The goal isn't to rip out any knots; it's just to loosen things up a bit so that they'll ease themselves out on their own.
Yoga also helps, if you are into that. I’ve found the downward facing dog is the best for my wrists, but dance pose, warrior, and triangle are also great for knitters since they stretch your back and shoulders.
----
Do you have an RSI? What works for you?
This series was the result of a reader request. Is there something you want my opinion/thoughts/suggestions on? Let me know!
**DISCLAIMER**
I am not a doctor. The following are simply a list of things that have worked for me for managing my own pain. Your mileage may vary. Please consult with your physician before starting any kind of treatment plan.
That being said, many of these suggestions are very common treatments, and most were recommended by my mom (former occupational therapy assistant), my chiropractor, and other knitters/crafters suffering from similar ailments.
----
Okay, so last time we talked about what to do once you're in pain, but how do you keep it from happening in the first place?
Preventing the Pain
1. We've all heard it, but how many of us actually do it? Take a break. The recommendation is usually 15 minutes for every hour spent working. Put down the knitting and go do something else. Take a dance break and "shake it out" as one of my teachers would say. This is also a great time to do some of the exercises listed in #7.
2. Look at the way you knit. Is there a way you can economize your movements? For example, if you're a picker like me, are you sending several inches of your right hand needle into each stitch, rather than just the tip? Can you make smaller movement with your left hand?
3. Learn a new style of knitting. If you knit continental, learn English and vice versa. Look at Peruvian knitting. If a specific movement is what is causing you pain, see if there's a way around it. For me, purling is difficult, so I learned a couple of different purls, and also how to knit backwards, which really helps, and then I found a way to get purl stitches in the same manner.
4. Look at your tools. Instead of using big, cumbersome straight needles, try using circulars for larger projects (or just in general). I know that I can only have 1 project at a time on needles smaller than a US4, because that fine detail work will get to me after a while.
5. Look at your yarn. Vegetable fibers and most acrylics have every little give, which is hard on hands. Work with natural fibers whenever possible. Wool is best, but alpaca and angora can be good, too, and don't forget to look at blends. Bamboo and milk fiber are other good options for those with animal allergies/vegan knitters. Stay away from cotton and linen except in blends where they make up 5% or less of the yarn. Silk is also best when blended.
5B. Along those lines, I mentioned spinning. If you learn to spin your own yarns, you can control the twist and therefore affect the elasticity of the final product. Also look at indie dyers/spinners on Etsy, since many of them are willing to adjust fiber contents or make a yarn thicker, thinner, or more/less spun to meet their customers needs. It never hurts to ask.
6. As I said, I tried knitting with wrist braces, but they restricted movement way too much, so I made these. They are intended to be quite tight (but not so snug that they cut off circulation!) and that provides both support and warmth which helps keep fingers and wrists nimble. NOTE: These are made a quite a dense gauge. If you are in pain, these are NOT a good project to work on. Save it for when you are feeling better.
7. Lastly, exercises. Here are a few of my favorites:
A. As soon as my wrists start to feel fatigued, I put my hands together in front of me “prayer style” (palms together, fingers skyward. Then I slowly lower my hands until my elbows and wrists are all in a straight line and hold for 20 seconds. This stretches those muscles and helps relieve the tension.
B. To strengthen those muscles, push ups are the best solution I’ve found. If you can’t do a full push up on the floor, then any time you’re waiting on the microwave or for water to boil, just lean against the counter and do 10-20 from a standing position.
C. Another one that is great for not just wrists but also your shoulders and back is to clasp your hands behind your back, weaving your fingers together, palms out. Reach back and up as far as you can while slowly bending forward at the waist. Make sure you keep your back and neck straight, and don't go any further forward than a 90 degree angle.
D. Lastly, sit at the kitchen table or at your desk, and lay your arm on the table palm down. Now starting with your thumb, raise each finger one by one and put it back down. This will help keep any RSI from going into your elbows, since when you have it in your wrists you tend to overcompensate by using other muscles.
Don't push so hard that it hurts; you should just feel a slight tension on the muscles. Hold it there, and then try again in a few minutes. The goal isn't to rip out any knots; it's just to loosen things up a bit so that they'll ease themselves out on their own.
Yoga also helps, if you are into that. I’ve found the downward facing dog is the best for my wrists, but dance pose, warrior, and triangle are also great for knitters since they stretch your back and shoulders.
----
Do you have an RSI? What works for you?
This series was the result of a reader request. Is there something you want my opinion/thoughts/suggestions on? Let me know!
Monday, May 6, 2013
Small Business Upgrade
Insert crackly announcer voice:
"We interrupt your regularly scheduled blog for this special report..."
Some of you may have noticed a link I added at the bottom of my last post (some of you are probably even wondering why I'm posting twice on the same day). That link, in case you missed it, goes to my entry in a contest for small businesses to win $5,000 for business improvements. I can't even tell you how much $1,000 would mean to me right now, let alone five times that.
1. I know that my patterns aren't the best they could be. I do most of the photography myself. I do all of my own charts. I haven't designed sweaters because I'm not ambitious enough at math to attempt grading. The FU scarf had to be updated a few times because of errors. This money would mean I'd be able to pay a tech editor and photographer, and maybe even a couple of sample knitters, making my turn around time infinitely faster.
2. All of my photos are taken with a crappy little point-and-shoot. I'd love to be able to get an SLR (even a low end or used one) and possibly some lighting, both for photoshoots and for actual craft usage. An OTT light has been on my wishlist since I was working for a craft store in high school.
3. Most of my samples are knit with acrylic yarn. I got a box of it for free last year. It's not great, but it will suffice. I'd love to get a mix of fibers, though, so that I could experiment with different techniques and garment types. It would also be nice to have a swift for winding those hanks of yarn into a ball.
4. My "studio" is currently just storage. I can't even afford a table and chair from the thrift store (at least, not one that is even remotely sturdy/comfortable), let alone nice storage. So right now, I just have a stack of plastic notes and a couple of cardboard boxes down there. It would be nice to have some bookcases and/or units with drawers for storing and labeling yarn and fabric.
5. I'd be able to join professional organizations like The National Needlearts Association and The Knitting Guild Association. I used to be a member of the TKGA, but couldn't afford the fee to renew it. Joining these groups would give me better access to events, education, and other services.
6. I'd be able to advertise my patterns, and if my book proposal is rejected, I'd have a base to use for self publishing costs and advertising.
7. I've been using Excel/Numbers for my charts. I'd like to get some actual chart-creation software, and something that I can use to create graphics/schematics. In an ideal world, I'd also go back to working on a Mac, and purchase another backup hard drive for saving files in case of another computer implosion like I had at the end of last year.
In the off chance that anything was left after all of that, it would go into overhead costs. I think I mentioned that our heat last winter ran $500/month. We will probably be moving to a cheaper place, but if we can't find one I'd like to be able to pay down some of the debt I incurred and look into alternative heating.
So, if you're so inclined, please take a moment to vote for me here, and please share the link if you could. I only have until the 12, and the business with the most votes get the prize!
"We interrupt your regularly scheduled blog for this special report..."
Some of you may have noticed a link I added at the bottom of my last post (some of you are probably even wondering why I'm posting twice on the same day). That link, in case you missed it, goes to my entry in a contest for small businesses to win $5,000 for business improvements. I can't even tell you how much $1,000 would mean to me right now, let alone five times that.
1. I know that my patterns aren't the best they could be. I do most of the photography myself. I do all of my own charts. I haven't designed sweaters because I'm not ambitious enough at math to attempt grading. The FU scarf had to be updated a few times because of errors. This money would mean I'd be able to pay a tech editor and photographer, and maybe even a couple of sample knitters, making my turn around time infinitely faster.
2. All of my photos are taken with a crappy little point-and-shoot. I'd love to be able to get an SLR (even a low end or used one) and possibly some lighting, both for photoshoots and for actual craft usage. An OTT light has been on my wishlist since I was working for a craft store in high school.
3. Most of my samples are knit with acrylic yarn. I got a box of it for free last year. It's not great, but it will suffice. I'd love to get a mix of fibers, though, so that I could experiment with different techniques and garment types. It would also be nice to have a swift for winding those hanks of yarn into a ball.
4. My "studio" is currently just storage. I can't even afford a table and chair from the thrift store (at least, not one that is even remotely sturdy/comfortable), let alone nice storage. So right now, I just have a stack of plastic notes and a couple of cardboard boxes down there. It would be nice to have some bookcases and/or units with drawers for storing and labeling yarn and fabric.
5. I'd be able to join professional organizations like The National Needlearts Association and The Knitting Guild Association. I used to be a member of the TKGA, but couldn't afford the fee to renew it. Joining these groups would give me better access to events, education, and other services.
6. I'd be able to advertise my patterns, and if my book proposal is rejected, I'd have a base to use for self publishing costs and advertising.
7. I've been using Excel/Numbers for my charts. I'd like to get some actual chart-creation software, and something that I can use to create graphics/schematics. In an ideal world, I'd also go back to working on a Mac, and purchase another backup hard drive for saving files in case of another computer implosion like I had at the end of last year.
In the off chance that anything was left after all of that, it would go into overhead costs. I think I mentioned that our heat last winter ran $500/month. We will probably be moving to a cheaper place, but if we can't find one I'd like to be able to pay down some of the debt I incurred and look into alternative heating.
So, if you're so inclined, please take a moment to vote for me here, and please share the link if you could. I only have until the 12, and the business with the most votes get the prize!
RSI and Knitting Part I
It has been requested that I talk a little bit about RSI and some of the things that I do to combat it. Today is part one. Part two, which will include the preventative treatments, will go up on Wednesday.
Introduction
For those who don't know, RSI stands for Repetative Stress Injury. Examples of this would be carpal tunnel and tendonitis or tennis elbow; any kind of pain that is associated with a repetative movement such as knitting or typing. My dad had one related to hammering (he does home improvements) which was eventually treated with surgery, but there are plenty of treatments that don't involve going under the knife.
**DISCLAIMER**
I am not a doctor. The following are simply a list of things that have worked for me for managing my own pain. Your mileage may vary. Please consult with your physician before starting any kind of treatment plan.
That being said, many of these suggestions are very common treatments, and most were recommended by my mom (former occupational therapy assistant), my chiropractor, and other knitters/crafters suffering from similar ailments.
----
Okay, so your knitting is causing you pain. The most common pain for knitters is in the wrist (carpel tunnel) and the elbow/forearm (tendonitis). Shoulders can also be bothersome, but those are more difficult to treat on your own. I'm looking mostly at things a knitter can do by themselves at the onset of pain.
First of all, a little reality check. If knitting/crochet causes you pain, STOP DOING IT. Put down the needles, and back way from the yarn.Stubbing your toe hurts. We all know this. So why, for the love of god, would you keep slamming your foot against the wall? This is the same thing. I know you love your knitting, but when you're causing yourself harm, then you have to step back.
When I was nine years old, I learned to crochet. I did it on and off for a few years, but in high school I started getting really into it. I did a couple of reports on the history, and it became a thing for all of my friends to get a hat, a scarf, and a blanket from me for their birthday or Christmas. I carried my crochet everywhere.
It didn't take long though, for the pain to set in. I was also an aspiring novelist, and spent a lot of time at the computer. After a while I had trouble just taking notes in class, and when I began studying art it became a challenge to even hold a pencil some days, let alone sketch out a still life.
I learned to knit for several reasons, but preserving my right hand was a big one. I still get pain from time to time, but it hasn't been that bad in years.
Treating the Pain
So, you've set aside your knitting. Now what?
1. There's no shame in taking a couple of ibprophen. The pain and discomfort is caused by inflammation of the muscles and nerves in the wrist/elbow joint as they rub against your bones. Ibprophen is a better anti-inflamatory than aspirin or acetaminophen, so take one or two. If you find that you need to take more or you find that you are taking it for more than 24-48 hours, then I strongly suggest you stop right now and go see your doctor.
2. Heat is usually recommended for carpel tunnel, but every once in a while I find that cold works better. Wrapping an ice pack in a towel and holding it on the affected area for ten minutes, I've found, to be most effective.
3. Wrist braces can be purchased at most pharmacies (CVS, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart all carry them). I find that these are best for sleeping in because of the way they restrict movement, but if I'm in a lot of pain I might wear them around the house for a couple of hours.
4. Let yourself rest. If it hurts, don't do it. Give yourself a three day vacation from your knitting. Go work on something else. Embroider, sew, bake, read, spin. Try dying if you haven't yet, or take the opportunity to get some house work done. The important thing is to let that hand and wrist (or elbow) rest.
For my suggestions on preventing the pain in the first place, click here.-----
P.S. You may have noticed a new tab at the top of the page. That's right, I'm now offering classes--including an introduction to illusion knitting!
Introduction
For those who don't know, RSI stands for Repetative Stress Injury. Examples of this would be carpal tunnel and tendonitis or tennis elbow; any kind of pain that is associated with a repetative movement such as knitting or typing. My dad had one related to hammering (he does home improvements) which was eventually treated with surgery, but there are plenty of treatments that don't involve going under the knife.
**DISCLAIMER**
I am not a doctor. The following are simply a list of things that have worked for me for managing my own pain. Your mileage may vary. Please consult with your physician before starting any kind of treatment plan.
That being said, many of these suggestions are very common treatments, and most were recommended by my mom (former occupational therapy assistant), my chiropractor, and other knitters/crafters suffering from similar ailments.
----
Okay, so your knitting is causing you pain. The most common pain for knitters is in the wrist (carpel tunnel) and the elbow/forearm (tendonitis). Shoulders can also be bothersome, but those are more difficult to treat on your own. I'm looking mostly at things a knitter can do by themselves at the onset of pain.
First of all, a little reality check. If knitting/crochet causes you pain, STOP DOING IT. Put down the needles, and back way from the yarn.Stubbing your toe hurts. We all know this. So why, for the love of god, would you keep slamming your foot against the wall? This is the same thing. I know you love your knitting, but when you're causing yourself harm, then you have to step back.
When I was nine years old, I learned to crochet. I did it on and off for a few years, but in high school I started getting really into it. I did a couple of reports on the history, and it became a thing for all of my friends to get a hat, a scarf, and a blanket from me for their birthday or Christmas. I carried my crochet everywhere.
It didn't take long though, for the pain to set in. I was also an aspiring novelist, and spent a lot of time at the computer. After a while I had trouble just taking notes in class, and when I began studying art it became a challenge to even hold a pencil some days, let alone sketch out a still life.
I learned to knit for several reasons, but preserving my right hand was a big one. I still get pain from time to time, but it hasn't been that bad in years.
Treating the Pain
So, you've set aside your knitting. Now what?
1. There's no shame in taking a couple of ibprophen. The pain and discomfort is caused by inflammation of the muscles and nerves in the wrist/elbow joint as they rub against your bones. Ibprophen is a better anti-inflamatory than aspirin or acetaminophen, so take one or two. If you find that you need to take more or you find that you are taking it for more than 24-48 hours, then I strongly suggest you stop right now and go see your doctor.
2. Heat is usually recommended for carpel tunnel, but every once in a while I find that cold works better. Wrapping an ice pack in a towel and holding it on the affected area for ten minutes, I've found, to be most effective.
3. Wrist braces can be purchased at most pharmacies (CVS, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart all carry them). I find that these are best for sleeping in because of the way they restrict movement, but if I'm in a lot of pain I might wear them around the house for a couple of hours.
4. Let yourself rest. If it hurts, don't do it. Give yourself a three day vacation from your knitting. Go work on something else. Embroider, sew, bake, read, spin. Try dying if you haven't yet, or take the opportunity to get some house work done. The important thing is to let that hand and wrist (or elbow) rest.
For my suggestions on preventing the pain in the first place, click here.-----
P.S. You may have noticed a new tab at the top of the page. That's right, I'm now offering classes--including an introduction to illusion knitting!
Friday, May 3, 2013
Steampunk Symposium Part II: Costumes, Crafts, Booklust, and more!
Here we go, round two of the Con Report!
Costumes
I am horrible at taking photos, especially of my own costumes. I didn't even remember to take out my camera for most of the weekend.
Once we arrived at the hotel, it didn't take long for me to realized that I'd left two key costumes pieces behind. The first was the bodice I normally wear with my seamstress costume. It's a more casual/lower class character, so my fancy corsets are a bit too much for her. Without the bodice, I had to modify things. The result was okay, but I wasn't happy with it. My top half wound up looking more like a tavern wench than a seamstress.
Missouri wore this outfit on the right the first day. She designed the top, and I made it for her. I'm so pleased with the way it came out, and she got a lot of compliments on it. Doesn't she look great? (You can see how thrilled she was with me taking her photo, but I think it's excellent.)
Saturday I wore my Victorian walking dress (left). This is the costume that I spent most of last week working on, but I think the results are FABULOUS. I got so many compliments, and this was the first year were multiple people asked to take my picture. I love this costume. I did discover that it needs a little tweaking in the back when I'm wearing my corset, and I'll be adding a bustle to it eventually, but I'm still very pleased with how it came out.
My Sunday costume is an old standard. Pardon the washroom photography:
I tweak this outfit a little bit every year, adding more and more too it. This year I changed blouses, going with a peasant look instead of my usual button down. I also added the hat and the chain on the corset--darn useful, that. It's not really visible, but that chain has my pocket watch hanging from it, and there's a clip for my fan. I'm going to add other bits and bobs to it, too.
Missouri's Saturday outfit was just stunning--academic in inspiration, it was a purple and cream plaid over a bright green blouse. I didn't think it would work, but they were perfect together. The blouse was store-bought, but the waistcoat and skirt were made by moi, again based on her design. We make a good team! In the photo on the left, I had to do some creative pinning, since the manikin was still set to my measurements, but it looked wonderful on her.
Missouri's Sunday costume was tried and true--a button down tunic dress over a skirt, tied with a modified obi that I made last year. No pictures since Sunday was a bit of rush with checking out and the two hour drive, but I'll see if I can rustle up something to share.
The Swag
Our budget was tight this year. Most of my money wound up spent on food. Most of my souveniers are even consumable.
War Pony Forge candies ended up being a place we came back to twice. They have great homemade candy in a variety of unusual flavors like Early Grey, lavender, and coriander pear. We walked away with blackberry, coconut, cinnamon, an lime flavored chocolate (and white chocolate, in the case of the last, and I don't even like white chocolate. It's that good).
I picked up a pair of white gloves for my costumes, and chipped in for a gift for a friend who couldn't attend the convention. My last purchase was a mother's day present.
I also bought an herbal tea. Gents, you won't be much interested in this and might want to skip to the next section. Ladies, this is a tea that is supposed to help with cramps and some of the symptoms Mother Nature likes to dump on us. I haven't tried it yet, but I will be soon. If it works, I'll let you know. ;)
There were so many books that I wanted to get! Steampunk Symposium is a bit of an author's mecca. Two that I will probably download on my Nook soon are Darker Still and The Tales of the Airship Neverland, which is a dark, Steamy retelling of the Peter Pan story. I almost bought a couple of other books, too. I've got a whole list that needs downloading!
The Crafts
You didn't expect me to sit through all of those panels with nothing to do, now did you?
At first, I was carrying my sock in my purse. I'm just finishing the gusset on these, about to start the heel. After a week of hard work,, though, my wrists were pretty fatigued. Saturday night I switched to embroidery.
You'll never guess what I found in a box of craft stuff when I went downstairs to retreive some costume pieces.
Remember this one? It's been sitting in storage for almost a year, but I got quite a bit of work done on it Saturday and Sunday. It's still sitting by my bed, getting a few more stitches every day. I'll have to make a Joann's run this weekend, since I used up the last of the color I had for the right hand gear.
Alas, those are all of the pictures I have to share. We had a fabulous time despite the little kinks; it will be interesting to see where the convention is held next year. We're already plotting costumes and panels, so it should be fun!
Costumes
I am horrible at taking photos, especially of my own costumes. I didn't even remember to take out my camera for most of the weekend.
Once we arrived at the hotel, it didn't take long for me to realized that I'd left two key costumes pieces behind. The first was the bodice I normally wear with my seamstress costume. It's a more casual/lower class character, so my fancy corsets are a bit too much for her. Without the bodice, I had to modify things. The result was okay, but I wasn't happy with it. My top half wound up looking more like a tavern wench than a seamstress.Missouri wore this outfit on the right the first day. She designed the top, and I made it for her. I'm so pleased with the way it came out, and she got a lot of compliments on it. Doesn't she look great? (You can see how thrilled she was with me taking her photo, but I think it's excellent.)
Saturday I wore my Victorian walking dress (left). This is the costume that I spent most of last week working on, but I think the results are FABULOUS. I got so many compliments, and this was the first year were multiple people asked to take my picture. I love this costume. I did discover that it needs a little tweaking in the back when I'm wearing my corset, and I'll be adding a bustle to it eventually, but I'm still very pleased with how it came out.My Sunday costume is an old standard. Pardon the washroom photography:
I tweak this outfit a little bit every year, adding more and more too it. This year I changed blouses, going with a peasant look instead of my usual button down. I also added the hat and the chain on the corset--darn useful, that. It's not really visible, but that chain has my pocket watch hanging from it, and there's a clip for my fan. I'm going to add other bits and bobs to it, too.
Missouri's Saturday outfit was just stunning--academic in inspiration, it was a purple and cream plaid over a bright green blouse. I didn't think it would work, but they were perfect together. The blouse was store-bought, but the waistcoat and skirt were made by moi, again based on her design. We make a good team! In the photo on the left, I had to do some creative pinning, since the manikin was still set to my measurements, but it looked wonderful on her.Missouri's Sunday costume was tried and true--a button down tunic dress over a skirt, tied with a modified obi that I made last year. No pictures since Sunday was a bit of rush with checking out and the two hour drive, but I'll see if I can rustle up something to share.
The Swag
Our budget was tight this year. Most of my money wound up spent on food. Most of my souveniers are even consumable.
War Pony Forge candies ended up being a place we came back to twice. They have great homemade candy in a variety of unusual flavors like Early Grey, lavender, and coriander pear. We walked away with blackberry, coconut, cinnamon, an lime flavored chocolate (and white chocolate, in the case of the last, and I don't even like white chocolate. It's that good).
I picked up a pair of white gloves for my costumes, and chipped in for a gift for a friend who couldn't attend the convention. My last purchase was a mother's day present.
I also bought an herbal tea. Gents, you won't be much interested in this and might want to skip to the next section. Ladies, this is a tea that is supposed to help with cramps and some of the symptoms Mother Nature likes to dump on us. I haven't tried it yet, but I will be soon. If it works, I'll let you know. ;)
There were so many books that I wanted to get! Steampunk Symposium is a bit of an author's mecca. Two that I will probably download on my Nook soon are Darker Still and The Tales of the Airship Neverland, which is a dark, Steamy retelling of the Peter Pan story. I almost bought a couple of other books, too. I've got a whole list that needs downloading!
The Crafts
You didn't expect me to sit through all of those panels with nothing to do, now did you?
At first, I was carrying my sock in my purse. I'm just finishing the gusset on these, about to start the heel. After a week of hard work,, though, my wrists were pretty fatigued. Saturday night I switched to embroidery.
You'll never guess what I found in a box of craft stuff when I went downstairs to retreive some costume pieces.
Remember this one? It's been sitting in storage for almost a year, but I got quite a bit of work done on it Saturday and Sunday. It's still sitting by my bed, getting a few more stitches every day. I'll have to make a Joann's run this weekend, since I used up the last of the color I had for the right hand gear.
Alas, those are all of the pictures I have to share. We had a fabulous time despite the little kinks; it will be interesting to see where the convention is held next year. We're already plotting costumes and panels, so it should be fun!
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Steampunk Symposium Part I: Con Report!
You've all been waiting for this one, haven't you? That's right, it's time for the con report!
This
was my second year attending Steampunk Symposium. Last year was the
first year of the con. I have to say, while the hotel was nicer this
year, I actually liked it less. The staff were very rude, the service
was horrible, and the physical layout of the hotel wasn't as
amenable to just hanging out and meeting people as the previous
location. Each panel, section, etc, was very segregated from the other
parts of the convention. It was also a lot more expensive than last
year--almost double the price per room (granted, the rooms were a lot
nicer looking and more comfortable, but the other problems kind of
negated it.
All that aside, however, we did have a great time.
Friday kicked off the panels. The first one we attended was on corset making.
It was absolutely fascinating, but I'm not quite ambitious enough to
give it a go just yet. Missouri is contemplating it, however. We'll see
what she comes up with.
Following that, we hosted our own panel on Maintaining History. There was talk of
costumes and typewriters, old books and leather. Not many people showed
up, but the ones that did asked some good questions and I think that
they enjoyed it.
Speaking of typewriters, I did spot one while we were there:
This Underwood was being used as a prop at one of the booths. It's in
great condition (despite my poor photography). I wanted to play with it a
little, but no one was manning the booth and didn't want to be poking
at things that didn't belong to be, so I walked away reluctantly. The
next time we went by the booth it was gone. I also spotted this phonograph machine by the check in; I thought it was quite cool, especially since it still had the cylinders.
We
only did one other panel that night, since we were both tired: Con
Sociology, the Zen of Flirting. At lot of the things in that panel could
be used for general networking, but it was a lot of fun and the host
was hilarious.There were, of course, parties aplenty on both Friday and Saturday nights, but neither Missouri nor I are much for large parties. For starters, neither of us drinks or enjoys being around people who are drinking, so we spent our evenings relaxing in our room and making tweaks to our costumes.
On Saturday, we did some shopping in the morning. I think that there were more vendors this year than last, but there was a lot less variety in their wares. A few stands outs included hand-blended teas, a purveyor of vintage kimono, and leather top hats. There were a lot of people selling corsets and costumes of various sorts, but most were quite expensive (not overpriced, mind, but most people don't got to a convention with $150, $200+ dollars to spend in the dealers room). There was less jewelry and accessories than last year, but a lot more author tables, which I whole-heartedly support. I heard a rumor that a publisher had a booth in the dealer's room, but we searched it thoroughly and couldn't find it.
For me, the highlight of the entire weekend came on Saturday afternoon, when we took a stage fighting class. Fencing, to be specific. Most of the class was using rapiers, but they ran out when they got to me so I got to play with a cane sword. Here I am (or at least my back) practicing part of the routine they were teaching use.
Did I mention? The class was taught by this guy, who arranged the fight scenes in the Highlander TV series and Hook, which was one of my favorite movies as a kid. So cool! So much fun! I really want to take fencing lessons now!
We finished off Saturday with more costuming panels on bustles and corset fitting, and one on Victorian mysticism and occult beliefs, and hilarious panel on Victorian Erotica. I don't think I stopped laughing for the entire hour. Sunday wound things down with Goths in Steampunk, and LGBTQ in Steampunk.
The panels were all great, but I wish they were longer. All of the panels this year were one hour, and most would have been better served to be 2-3 hour workshops.
This is going rather long so check back on Friday for all the details on the costumes, the books, and what I was making while I was there!
Monday, April 29, 2013
Steampunk Week: Tea for Two
A while back, I did a post all about my favorite teas. Since then we've moved from our little apartment into a nice house, and the tea stash has also expanded. I won't tell you how many varieties of tea are in the tea cupboard now (yes, we have an entire cupboard dedicated just to tea. Oh, and there's some hot chocolate in there, too).
Here are a few favorites from the current stash:
Celestial Seasonings Country Peach Passion I'm usually not a fan of fruit flavored teas, but I make an exception for peach. This is one of my favorites, though it has to battle The Republic of Tea's Ginger Peach. We don't have any of the latter in the house right now, but it's my special treat when we go to Panara Bread.
Of course, we still have the Ahmad, which is our go-to tea around here. The first box ran out long ago, and I was desperately searching online. The manufacturer's website offers it for £17.50, plus international shipping to the US. Whew! No thanks. That is one expensive cuppa! Thankfully, I ventured into a local Middle Eastern/Mediterranean market that we have about a mile or two from the house, and lo and behold, an entire shelf of Ahmad teas, all different varieties, was right by the front door! I think I wound up paying $4.50 for a box of 100 tea bags, which is much more my speed.
The Ahmad English Tea No. 1 is our standard, but I also found a tin of loose leaf Darjeeling, though I haven't tried that one yet. I should. You know, for science.
Shockingly, one of the best black teas I've found came from HomeGoods. I bought it mostly because of the tins, which are adorable, but the tea itself is fantastic--no cream or sugar required. Not bad, considering I paid $3.99 for three little containers!
The brand is "New English Teas," though generally you won't find it on the box. This is an example of some of their packaging. Each tin is a different flavor (we have Breakfast, Afternoon, English, and London varieties--all very similar). Some packages include one or two of the small tins, plus a longer one. The long ones have bagged tea, and I like to keep that in my locker at work, since loose leaf is not very practical on a 15 minute break in a shared kitchen.
It's not tea, but my last, favorite thing in the tea cupboard is actually a can of hot cocoa mix. When the weather was really cold and I was feeling down, I'd mix myself up the following concoction to get myself going in the morning. It tastes just like my mom's signature cake, and it's very comforting on a bad day.
-fill a mug with milk (I like whole milk but whatever you prefer). Heat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes (less, if your microwave is more powerful than our cheap-o one).
-stir in 3 scoops of Archer Farms mint hot chocolate mix (found at Target. 'Cuz I'm high class like that).
-Add 1/2 packet of instant coffee crystals (I use Foldgers, because it's what we have, but there might be other kinds out there. I don't know. I'm more of a tea/chocolate person).
And that's it. That right there is my absolute favorite thing to have in the morning. By using the whole milk, it's a little more filling than using water or skim milk or whatever other percentage, so I'll just have a cup of that with some banana bread or something and that's a decent breakfast.
Maybe another day, I'll share Missouri's recipe for Italian-style hot chocolate. It's a little more work, but oh my god. You haven't lived until you've had the southern European version of hot chocolate. It kicks the instant kind's ass.
Here are a few favorites from the current stash:
Celestial Seasonings Country Peach Passion I'm usually not a fan of fruit flavored teas, but I make an exception for peach. This is one of my favorites, though it has to battle The Republic of Tea's Ginger Peach. We don't have any of the latter in the house right now, but it's my special treat when we go to Panara Bread.
Of course, we still have the Ahmad, which is our go-to tea around here. The first box ran out long ago, and I was desperately searching online. The manufacturer's website offers it for £17.50, plus international shipping to the US. Whew! No thanks. That is one expensive cuppa! Thankfully, I ventured into a local Middle Eastern/Mediterranean market that we have about a mile or two from the house, and lo and behold, an entire shelf of Ahmad teas, all different varieties, was right by the front door! I think I wound up paying $4.50 for a box of 100 tea bags, which is much more my speed.
The Ahmad English Tea No. 1 is our standard, but I also found a tin of loose leaf Darjeeling, though I haven't tried that one yet. I should. You know, for science.
Shockingly, one of the best black teas I've found came from HomeGoods. I bought it mostly because of the tins, which are adorable, but the tea itself is fantastic--no cream or sugar required. Not bad, considering I paid $3.99 for three little containers!
The brand is "New English Teas," though generally you won't find it on the box. This is an example of some of their packaging. Each tin is a different flavor (we have Breakfast, Afternoon, English, and London varieties--all very similar). Some packages include one or two of the small tins, plus a longer one. The long ones have bagged tea, and I like to keep that in my locker at work, since loose leaf is not very practical on a 15 minute break in a shared kitchen.
It's not tea, but my last, favorite thing in the tea cupboard is actually a can of hot cocoa mix. When the weather was really cold and I was feeling down, I'd mix myself up the following concoction to get myself going in the morning. It tastes just like my mom's signature cake, and it's very comforting on a bad day.
-fill a mug with milk (I like whole milk but whatever you prefer). Heat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes (less, if your microwave is more powerful than our cheap-o one).
-stir in 3 scoops of Archer Farms mint hot chocolate mix (found at Target. 'Cuz I'm high class like that).
-Add 1/2 packet of instant coffee crystals (I use Foldgers, because it's what we have, but there might be other kinds out there. I don't know. I'm more of a tea/chocolate person).
And that's it. That right there is my absolute favorite thing to have in the morning. By using the whole milk, it's a little more filling than using water or skim milk or whatever other percentage, so I'll just have a cup of that with some banana bread or something and that's a decent breakfast.
Maybe another day, I'll share Missouri's recipe for Italian-style hot chocolate. It's a little more work, but oh my god. You haven't lived until you've had the southern European version of hot chocolate. It kicks the instant kind's ass.
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