In our lives, like in great designs of any kind, the empty "white space" is what brings the important elements to life. That quiet, boring, rainy Tuesday spent trying to get a piece of crochet thread to turn into what you want makes for a happy success on Thursday when a new design comes to life, creating something where nothing existed before. Long boring days of eating the same thing over and over result in wearing a new size you've never worn before. And most importantly for me, 12 months of surgeries and physical rehab resulted in a whole new LIFE. Right now, I feel like I'm living in the important elements now instead of the "white space" of waiting. It's pretty cool! I'm doing so many things I haven't done in years!
 |
What pain looked like. At least Ladybug
Schnauzer was laying on top of my head to keep
me company! |
On March 11, it will be one year since I had my first hip replacement. This is a day I could never have imagined when I was living with two hips that had no cartilage left, bone grating on bone, and pain unending of a quality I have never experienced, unrelieved for years on end with no hope in sight. I think March 11 will always be a special anniversary for me, because it celebrates the beginning of a new chance at living! In October of 2011, just when I was beginning to fully enjoy my new right hip, I slammed myself back to ground zero with another replacement, this time my left hip. I went from zipping around with a cane to inching through the house on a walker. I remember coming home from that surgery vividly, thinking "What have I DONE!" But as things always do, days turn into weeks and months and finally, a whole year... now.
 |
Just a week after surgery in October 2011. Poor Ladybug
had gotten really sick a couple days before I went into
the surgery. Thankfully my daughter Cari took good
care of her while I was gone. Once I was home, we got
better together.
 |
| Kinda happy looking, now – February, 2012 |
|
Although it made for a year full of many miseries, the recovery also gave me a whole lot of downtime to focus on what I COULD do – crocheting. Out of the past year came many new designs, from the "Different Rose" doily to the "Sparkly Cupcake Ornament" to "Sally's Dancing Angels"and the "Warm Mobius Scarf, along with many others. And there's the new design soon to be released that I can't tell you about just yet! I'm grateful for the inspiration for these projects, I love and treasure them all. I can't describe what an honor it is to have someone say they enjoy making something I designed.
I'm very happy that my friend Heidi has done something very special for me! My double vision and focusing problems along with the stroke in my retina in 2009 have made it very difficult to transcribe things. I spent many years as a secretary and publications designer, and the idea that I can't transcribe my own notes is pretty frustrating. Heidi has graciously offered to transcribe all my notebooks filled with my handwritten crochet patterns! And that means something very special is going to happen in 2012! I will be publishing a book of all my crochet designs! We're working hard at it now, and I can't wait to get it done! It's one of those lifetime dream projects. So watch for the news - it's coming! Here are just a few designs that will be in the book.
 |
One of the many Mobius scarves I made as Christmas gifts. Here it's
keeping miss Ladybug warm! |
 |
A pattern I'll probably never write up! I made fingerless
gloves for myself, made to exactly fit each hand. Tricky. But I
love 'em! |
 |
| The Different Rose Mini Doily under construction |
 |
| Sparkly Cupcake Beaded/Sequined Ornament |
 |
| Sally's Dancing Angels Doily, before beading, about 16" |
 |
| SueSu models her pretty sweater back in 2008. |
 |
| A 3D Poinsettia flower done in a filet-like design. |
 |
| Another kind of 3D Poinsettia |
 |
| A whole suite of Poinsettia designs |
No comments:
Post a Comment