Just Checking In... My Crochet Hook And I Are Still Here!

It's been a long year. This year started with a shoulder reconstruction and that recovery proceoss lasted for months. Toward the end of winter I started getting cellulitis infections in my legs requiring a couple of hospitalizations. In April while I was in the hospital I was injured by a tray table and ended up with a very serious wound on my lower leg that just will not heal. I've been enduring weekly treatments at a wound care clinic since then. It will take many more months to heal. To be honest it's been a very challenging and difficult year mostly highlighted by intense pain from the leg wound on top of all the normal chronic pain I deal with. It's been rough.

In May, my daughter had her fairytale wedding and my son and his wife relocated to Louisiana.We made a trip down to see them the end of September. In mid-September my best friend of 35 years nearly died and spent about 7 weeks in ICU. Thankfully she's able to be cared for at home now but faces a long, difficult recovery as she is currently paralyzed in her arms and legs.

In October I finished a baby set including two dresses, a hat, booties, a shawl sweater and a blanket. It was done in gray and white sport weight chenille. I also did a blanket for my new nephew out of Bernat's Baby Blanket.

Also recently completed this PrettiPants© outfit for our newest rescue dog, Sarge.

Peaches & Creme Cotton

   

Sarge, our newest rescue - a puppy mill survivor.
See his story at http://www.gofundme.com/Sarge1015

Baby shoes I designed

I've kept sane through all this by crocheting. I haven't been patterning everything up but I did write down patterns for a couple of more special projects. I made a big shawl I intended to wear for my daughter's wedding and ended up not wearing it... but thankfully I designed it so that it can be used as a ginormous heart shaped doily! That project took about 3 months to complete. I still haven't glotten around to blocking and starching it yet. When I do I'll put up a photo. It's done in America's Best Rayon and took 23 balls of the stuff.

Crocheting With A Busted Wing!! / March Contest!

Back in late October I was doing one of my favorite things, frying up a mess of fried chicken dinner with all the fixings for company. Just as dinner was going 'critical' I went to wash out one of the chicken skillets at the sink. When I flipped the skillet over to rinse the underside I felt a horrible tearing sensation in my arm, so painful I almost blacked out. It turned out I had ruptured my long biceps tendon in my right arm. After a couple of months my arm and hand function were still not good so my ortho doc ordered a ct scan. That's when I learned I had large full thickness tears in three of the four rotator cuff tendons. Ruh-roh. I was immediately scheduled for surgery for January 28. My very talented surgeon was able to make the needed repairs but told me everything in there is tissue thin. That means I have to have the shoulder immobilized for at least six weeks. At this writing I will have gotten through four of those weeks tomorrow. I just started PT where they are lifting my arm in limited movements. I'm told it's going to be a very long road of many months before I get my arm back.

One of the few good moments about this was figuring out on my 3rd night home that I could crochet!! (I'm allowed to move my hand and wrist as long as I sing lift anything). I started out by crocheting a nice soft bag for my ice packs out of 100% cotton. After that I designed an oven mitt my daughter in law wanted. Then I started a set of placemats for my daughter. After that I found some thread I wanted to make a wedding doily for my daughter's upcoming wedding. I designed and patterned that but I won't be showing it until it's been given to her. Then I started something really major to keep myself busy! It's a round shawl in mint green rayon thread (with a size 10 hook). So far it's up to about 13" diameter.  I figure I have just under 3 months to finish it and I may make it if I work on it nearly every day. 

February Blog Contest Winner!

For February, I asked my readers to suggest a flower for my next doily creation. Many of you submitted flower ideas and I appreciate that! The one that intrigued me most was Liz's suggestion of a Peony flower and I have chosen her entry as the winner. Liz won my "Floral Ornaments To Crochet" e-book and the pattern of her choice from my My For-Sale Crochet Patterns At Craftsy.com site. Congratulations Liz and thanks again to everyone who entered! 

March Contest 

For the upcoming month of March, I need a very special idea from my readers! My daughter is getting married in May. She still needs the "something old" item. I'd like to crochet it, or embellish it with crochet, whatever "it" is! It needs to be something that can be easily worn, carried or sewn into her dress on the inside. She suggested using some of her old baby dresses or some sentimental fabric from another special dress I made for her once. SO... any ideas? Winner will receive the pattern of your choice from my for-sale pattern site and a copy of my "Floral Ornaments To Crochet" e-book (and my undying gratitude!) 

Just leave a comment below with your suggestion and an email where I can contact you if you win! 

Just Off My Hook/Upcoming Surgery/New Blog Contest!

January is half gone and I don't know where it went! I know I have been busy crocheting, which is a great thing. After my long hiatus, I feel energized now and my motivation is back! I just finished crocheting a hat for my son out of Sugar n' Cream which is a liner for his welding helmet or whatever it's called! Made a potholder which is the start of a wedding gift, a kitchen set for a friend of my daughter's. I've finished the two front panels for a vest I'm doing that may eventually turn into a sweater or poncho - not sure yet! It's done in Bernat's Alpaca in the Seaside colorway, a beautiful mint green which is my favorite color right now!

Made two sweaters for little daschund doggie friends of mine for belated Christmas! The red one was designed the way it is so that it can easily be put on and taken off of Lucey, who is disabled. She has a left front leg that is useless and regular sweaters hurt her to put on. Here she is modeling her new sweater (made in Bernat's Blanket chenille) along with her sister Sadey. Sadey's sweater is hard to see because it matches her! Hers is done in JoAnn's Angel Hair in black, with trim done in a yarn called Pelt. It very closely resembles rabbit fur, love it!

Lucey in her new sweater! 

Lucey's sweater slips over her head then the long piece wraps
under her abdomen, comes back up and buttons on top. 

Sadey and Lucey are happy wearing their toasty new sweaters!

Sadey's sweater is a simple slip-on design. 

The next project on my hook is going to be an infinity scarf done in Red Heart's Chic yarn, the one with the pom poms. I'm not sure why, but this yarn confuses the heck out of me just trying to unwind and work with it! I did a scarf out of it for myself in the Shadow colorway and adore it, so it's totally worth the effort... but it took me about an hour to unwind the skein and rewind it into a usable ball. Even then I struggled with the pom poms getting tangled up and creating knots! Sigh... my goddaughter saw my scarf, fell in love with it and just has to have one! So I picked up two skeins of it in black. Although I'm dreading it, at least the yarn feels amazing to work with.

My Red Heart Chic infinity scarf in Shadow (2 skeins). It
is incredibly yummy to wear! 

I'm going to undergo rotator cuff surgery on January 28, would appreciate prayers and good thoughts as I go through this. I have full thickness tears in three of the four rotator cuff tendons, plus a ruptured biceps tendon. I have lost some of the use of my right arm but thank God I can still crochet! Not sure if I will be allowed to for awhile after the surgery. I do know my arm will be in an immobilizer for 4-6 weeks and then I start physical therapy to get it all back.

I think it's about time for a new blog contest, don't you? I want to work on a new doily while I recover from my surgery. I'd like it to be a floral, my favorite thing. SO... leave me a comment indicating what flower you'd like me to feature in my next design. I will select the winner with a drawing. The winner will receive their choice of any one of my for-sale crochet patterns at Craftsy.com AND my Floral Ornaments To Crochet e-book. So think of your favorite flower and enter now! I'll close the contest in two weeks and choose the winning entry.

Happy crocheting, everyone!  xoxo – Sheila