Finally, Yarn In Play After All These Months!

     It's been almost 7 months since I last worked with yarn, fabric, clay, or any art medium except colored pencils and gel pens. Those I've played with because I switched from using the very expensive commercially-produced pre-printed planner used for the past 20 yrs. to using a bullet-journal format. It costs a tenth of what a fancy planner costs, makes it possible to custom-tailor every page to my needs, and provides endless opportunities for creative doodling and drawing. And the pages don't fall out. Can't beat that!

     That state of 3-D art/needlework paralysis, though, ended this week when I learned that Gregory Patrick would be hosting, on YouTube, a live teddy bear knit-along today and this weekend. Just what I need to be able to focus: the external framework of someone else's schedule and guidance, with homework and deadlines. Perfect for an overwhelmed & depressed ADHD brain. Needless to say I couldn't keep up - his fingers fly as he knits and I fumbled along, failing to produce the correct number of stitches, getting completely lost. But I did not give up.

Embroidery thread marking every 10 rows of a teddy bear arm.

     The neat rows of tight knit stitches are immensely satisfying to look at. The increase rows look awful, even after ripping out the first one three times because I had so much trouble staying "on task" despite the clear written instructions (see his book, Beasties: A Collection of Knit Animal Patterns, at https://gregorypatrick.bigcartel.com/product/beasties-a-collection-of-knit-animal-patterns-pdf). It also became necessary to stop frequently  and rest my swelling finger joints, and it took quite a while to limber them up in the first place. But I won't abandon such hand work again. It is a form of physical therapy - "use it or lose it"! And psychotherapy - a "maker" making is always a happier person.

Sew inside out, then turn outside-out. One arm done!

     This is what happens when you forget those nuances Gregory speaks of - because I sewed along the edge instead of a couple of stitches in from the edge, the stitches show. Also there are big holes at the shoulder for the same reason. Eye roll. That's ok; they won't show. But I really need to only do one thing at a time - either watch and take notes, or knit. Not both. Trying to knit-along is something to maybe tackle once I'm back in the knitting groove and can manipulate needles and yarn without losing my grip on both. And using less-slippery needles might help too!

     Another typical distraction that makes my brain go "SQUIRREL!!!"

Untangling what has to be the thickest, coarsest "embroidery" thread ever spun. What a mess!

Paralysis by Pandemic & Illness

      Here we are, mid-April, and I've done nothing creative with my hands since the last post, back in December, but fill in my planner and sketch out an idea for upcycling jeans and denim skirts. The pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 and the disease it causes, COVID-19, has turned the world upside-down. So has my beloved experiencing a stroke and TIA three weeks ago and my own usual string of infections since January. But I have two sewing projects to start working on, once my energy level increases enough to do more than the most basic housekeeping and cooking tasks. Even though it's been over 14 months since my first spinal fracture/herniated disc, sitting at a task chair is still painful and hard to do for very long, whether it's in front of the computer or a sewing machine.

      The first project is sewing some washable cloth face masks. We've been re-using the same disposable but un-washable masks each of the few times we've gone out in our car the last several weeks. Gross. Masks are needed not just to protect other people from us, in case one or both of us has asymptomatic COVID-19. Careless landscaping crew members blow dirt and debris off the sidewalk all over us. Between that, and pollen, and the dangers of soil bacteria becoming airborne when we're working with potting soil, having washable masks on hand year-round is just good sense. And others need them too.

     The second project  is upcycling some of my pants and possibly some of mu denim skirts. Anything to relieve the pain caused by the slightest bit of pressure on my abdomen, thanks to extensive scar tissue tangling up my insides. My beloved will be grateful to hear Miss Cranky Pants snarling and snapping less often. It's time to make another wardrobe modification to make life more bearable. Bye-bye belts and waistbands, hello suspenders. And hello to waistbands at least a couple of inches wider than my greatest waist circumference when sitting down.