Sleepless night

Life has been hard this last week. I have had the dressings removed which was ok but oh so much pain. I have cried some days, because just moving my arm has been horrendous. But I have taken the tabs from the hospital that I had forgotten about and bliss, no pain. I only take them at night and morning, and they work, altho' DH and I spent an hour awake last night about 1:00am as he woke when I was struggling to get back into bed, so we lay there talking for a while. Then blissfully I drifted back off to sleep. It's a sun shiny day and I'm looking forward to sitting in our beautiful garden watching the birds on our feeders.

I am just a loser!

Here I am 9 days after my op. and I am still useless. Yesterday, I tried to get a few things straight in the smallest bedroom so we can move things in there,  while the cupboards are fitted in the back bedroom and today my arm has ached and ached. I am still not sleeping well and I can't keep to the SW food plan. I came out of hospital and after just four days I weighed 10 pounds more than when I went in!!. Was it the fish and chips and cream cakes, or the 5 course meals?? Nope because I hardly ate anything. On my op day I was out cold for 8 hours and the other days I either had soup or a piece of toast at meal times. But my legs are like tree trucks there are so swollen, why? It was my shoulder and arm that I had done not my legs. And to make things worse I just can't keep to the food plan. I am not eating huge amounts, and I don't drink alcohol or eat pounds of biscuits, just probably more than I need. It's the old adage I have to move more and eat less I know, so why can't I just do it. A few years ago I was in a stressful job and a bottle of wine each evening had become my 'out.' I decided I needed to change my life. Handed in my notice and stopped drinking, I didn't tail it off, just cold turkey stopped. How did I do that and why can't I follow a plan to reduce my weight? Anyone got any answers?

                                Chris x

At last, they are finished, yeah!!

These black socks have caused me a lot of grief... they don't look very black photographed, but they are! I couldn't see the stitches by the light from lamps in the evenings. The leg section of one is just slightly longer than the other, because we were watching the latest's Jurassic Park film on Netflix and I hadn't realised how much I more had knitted until I had finished the heel and no way was I going to undo it!!

 

They are for DS's GF.. She suggested she'd like some for the boots she has to wear for work, but was horrified to see the brightly coloured ones I had knitted, and said she'd like black! I suppose I should knit her a second pair, I have the wool, but these were so horrible to knit, I don't think I can; I haven't liked knitting them at all!
And then because when you have loads to do, we are still unpacking and getting straight as well as doing the garden, we decided to do a jigsaw! Here it is, called The Potting Shed.

We have thoroughly enjoyed spending evenings listening to the radio and doing this. Tonight BBC4's prom concert is the film music of John William's. A few years ago we actually went to this plus other prom concerts that summer, of course my arm put a stop to that. But we are looking forward to this this evening.
I will be crocheting my blanket, 'Sunshine and showers.'
A warm summer evening, fresh coffee and a chocolate mint choc, listening to music we love, just loving being together, smiling smugly at each other now and then, over Nell lying between us on the floor, just loving everything here. What could be better than that. My heart is hop skippity hop just thinking about it! 

 

            Chris x

Still here

I have had my pre-op assessment, which went very well. The one thing I was dreading was the blood tests, I have become very nervous of needles of late, but I didn't even feel the needle going in! So I am on my way to surgery for my arm and shoulder, two years and three months of being in a sling may be, no not may be, is coming to an end. I will have two working arms again!!  YEAH
I haven't done any more of my CAL blanket because I am knitting socks, black socks, for #1DS's GF. She asked for black and it's really hard to see in an evening by artificial lights. But I am struggling on! When they're done I 'll be back to crocheting my blanket, which is lovely bright colours.
Just thought I pop in to say hello!

Chris x

 

Frogging and arm news

Yes I made a mistake with my Sunshine and Showers blanket! I thought I'd be ready to show the first two sections, but no... so I shall be re-doing it.
I need to be organised as I have had THE phone call and my operation is booked for 17th July at the London Orthopaedic hospital.
I feel 'confabulated' Criky, after all this waiting, it's imminent!!! But I can't go on living with only use of one arm, apart from the inconvenience,  because my arm stays very close to my body, I feel I might over balance when I am walking. I use my pretty walking stick but I am oh so slow. This afternoon we went to Southwold, now just a 20min drive for us. It was wonderful, the sun was shining but on the prom there was a slightly cooler breeze, so very pleasant. I walked nearly 4000 steps( I made it up to 4000 as soon as we got home, just walking down the garden.) When we got home we had a 'mimms' a Slimming World mock pimms. It's lemonade with balsamic vinegar, ice and sliced fruit and it is delish.. yes after a disastrous start at SW here in Suffolk, this last week I lost 1.5 pounds, (3 packs of butter!!!) So I am back in the zone!

 

Chris x

 

Warm toes and starting a CAL.

I finished the socks for #2 GS and knitted a pair of bed socks for 'moi'  I didn't match the wool as I don't mind, they are to keep my tootsies warm in winter and my toes don't  know they don't match!!

 

 And I have started the CAL.. Although we have moved house since I signed up for it and couldn't find the pack of wool I had bought. DH opened a lot of packed boxes to find it for me..and it was in the very last one he opened!

We are loving it here although it has taken us two weeks to get a little organised.. at one time I said..' what have we done?? ' It just seemed so hard to get the boxes  unpacked, but we have left some because we don't need the stuff in it for now, or at least we don't think we do!
I am enjoying the crocheting and our new home.

XX

Keeping ever so busy

 Yes I am knitting socks again, these blue ones are for my youngest GS. Although I am keeping busy I am slower these days, I have to stop to rest my arm.

But this bright colour will be bed socks for me. And knitting keeps my hands for putting food in my mouth!

Yes I am still trying to lose weight and that is ever so slow too. (Sigh!!)

 And I am going to take part in  a CAL with these gorgeous colours. It's by Jane Crowfoot and the blanket is called Sunshine and Showers.

 Aren't these different bands of colour and stitches absolutely wonderful. As soon as we have moved I shall start this. The pattern book has the first five groups of the chart and the rest are going to be on her blog.

I can't wait to get started... but I have my new quilt to do, so I need to keep up with that, it is coming along nicely.. photos next time.

 Hope you too have something that is new and exciting to do? Isn't the flower edging pretty, I love it.

Chris x

Sewing happily

I have started a new quilt, with fabric I bought from the US.

Even with the postage it was a bargain, so I am happily sewing, albeit slowly.

 

 The design is called quadrefoil and you can find it here .

I sew a little every evening and I am thoroughly enjoying sewing it.

Chris x

TA-DA..Top done

 I have loved sewing this quilt. It was originally to be a picnic quilt for us but, when my DS#2 and DIL saw it, she said she'd love it for their motor home.
I still have to do a white border then of course layer and quilt, so still a lot to do. I thought I could get it done for their wedding anniversary in June.
I will have to buy the white for the border, the wadding and backing but my local shop is only a few miles away and although I am not buying anything unnecessary in Lent, this is a needed to get it done.

I am very pleased with it, each tulip is made up of 16 separate pieces, but lovely to see each one grow. It is lovely to be sewing again. And I have some new fabric I ordered before Lent, which I have already cut some with my new cutter, which works a treat.

It is so colourful and the tulips turned out a lot better than I thought. A friend who has recently started quilted complimented me on the tiny stitches and I felt really proud!!
Have you something you're proud of?

Chris x

Where there's a will......

........ there's a way!

To finish the top of my tulip quilt I  needed to cut some more squares and sashing. Well I  found I could move my arm forward with my rotary cutter although it was painful, but then I didn't have enough strength in my arm to cut the fabric!!
DH helped, so I could finish the white edging on the tulip blocks. But it was difficult with me fussing him on how to make sure the ruler was dead on the 1/2" line  for the
1 1/2" sashing.. and then I remembered seeing a combo-ruler cutter in a fabric shop. Good ol'Amazon had loads all different sizes, I tried a bigger one, but I couldn't manoeuvre it, sent it back and bought this one 12"x12"And I can use it with my broken arm, as it doesn't need a lot of pressure, but I can also use it left handed!! Watch this space I have nearly finished hand sewing the main part of the quilt top, I want to edge it with a white sash border and then 'piano keys.' I may tackle them on my machine. I am a happy bunny now I can quilt again.

Chris x