New gloves and a gift pattern

I've been creating a new fingerless glove pattern with a different method. It's interesting to work and I've tried it out.

Here's the sample. I worked the body in Tunisian crochet simple stitch, and the wrist in knitted 2x2 rib. You create a rectangle, as in the top picture, then fold it over, stitch it up, leaving a gap for the thumb.  As you see, simple and it works.

Anyway, if you're interested in trying it, here's the how to.

Tunisian crochet hook size I (eye), chain 17. Then proceed, using simple stitch, for 37 rows. Then with size 7 knitting needles, pick up the stitches from the edge of the long side, 37, and knit 2x2 rib for 12 rows. At one end there will be an extra stitch, which is handy when you stitch up the side.

You try it on to determine where to place the thumb opening. That's it. 

I showed this on another platform today and someone instantly wanted to buy a pair. Such innocence. The cost at a reasonable hourly return, would stagger someone used to buying commercially produced gloves. So I encouraged her to try making them. It's pretty simple.

So there you are. You could knit the whole thing, too, if Tunisian crochet isn't in your repertoire. It gives a lovely firm hard wearing fabric though, so it's worth trying.

Because it's only 17 stitches you can use any hook with a long enough shaft to fit the stitches, no need for a large official Tunisian hook. 

In fact I created this design because I couldn't be bothered to wait till my set of hooks arrives. Turns out it's a really nice design which I'll repeat. I'm now working on the second glove of the pair.

Enjoy your gift pattern. That makes me feel so important, like a real designer...

In other news, it seems that we aging people are currently sharing falling down stories, or getting down on purpose and finding we can't get up again. 

I have precautions in place. Like Andrew, I have a daily text exchange early in the morning. Mine is with my son who lives near. If I don't respond, sometimes  only a technical thing, he messages by Skype. No response by a certain agreed on time, and he will either come over or if he's too far away, alert a neighbor. 

My phone is on me literally all the time. It's never in a different room. When I shower it's within reach, and overnight it charges next to the bed, still in reach. 

Best I can do! I do have neighbors who might eventually check if I don't seem active, sometimes they've been known to panic and run about the house to find me, when I'm only out walking!!

I do walk regularly and exercise with weights and stretches, all that, just to keep as agile (!) as I can.

I walked today with Carol Cane, not too far, but it's so good to get out and sniff the cold outdoor air. Today there were flocks of juncoes flying ahead of me, happy band. And I found a handy support thing for plants, just right for one of my tall houseplants, just tossed in the trees.  

Happy day everyone, try to stay as vertical as you're designed to be! 

 

Pixilated squirrel, Thanksgiving cactus, goodbye Rosalynn

Yesterday's picture through the screen door was a pixilated version, of a squirrel sitting thoughtfully for a while, near the foot of the Japanese maple.

I really like it when trees you plant start to be part of the habitat, birds and bees and squirrels leaping about in them. When my ficus is out in summer, the birds perch in her and I think it's good for her mental health. Likewise rain and wind and sun.

Indoors the cactus is proving to be a Thanksgiving timer, really coming along now.

And the coleus seems happy among the various transplants and cuttings growing in water.

Yesterday I was involved elsewhere in a discussion about falling, well, about the various YouTube variations on what to do about it. The main advice seems to be don't fall, but if you really have to, then be sure to fall where there are pillows to back onto at various heights near a sturdy chair. Or crawl on hands and knees (!) to a support to haul yourself up by.  Or, my favorite, fall in a circle! Followed by a maybe fortyish physical therapy lady demonstrating a graceful downward spiral. 

Mostly these unlikely ideas are demonstrated by young therapists, prompting shouts from viewers of "I could do that at your age, too!" And realistic comments about just be sure you have your phone or alert on, and call for help, never mind struggling like this.

The good therapists, like Will, the one I've referred to before, are much better than this, with actual step by step programs to maintain strength and realistic skills about getting up. But the others are largely comic relief. 

So when you're lying on the floor, be sure to watch their helpful videos about why you should have fallen near pillows. And how you should never walk in the park, because you'll never make it home again. Noted.

No food pictures recently, because it's been dull food, chocolate pudding, mac and tom -- macaroni in spicy tomato sauce -- potato spinach soup. Good stuff, just not exciting cooking. Also tuna melt, an old favorite.

The final note about the honest freecycler, she emailed to say she'll be happy to use the beads in her jewelry, yay. 

And a little thank you to Rosalynn Carter, for a long life well lived, and her lifelong push for attention to mental health. And her work throughout, with everything Jimmy did, from the presidency to Habitat for Humanity. 

Happy day, everyone, and if you fall down, just shout for help!

Figure Four has arrived

Here's the doings at the last stage of making Figure Four

The fabric is a piece of transparent polyester I dyed and embroidered as a framed hanging, and exhibited in a fiber arts solo some years ago. 

I cut out the most relevant passage, in color and design to work with the figure.

You see it here, attached, with the colors and stitch directions working pretty well with the figure.

And here's the figure, 14" tall

Front

Right side

Left side

Back

The cloak is two pieces of silk organza printed with images of artworks I'd made and scanned.

The base is a piece cut out of the background  the paper shapes assemblage was on. Just sawed it off.  

I'm glad it's done. Very tricky stitching paper to fabric and wiring the support and rhe figure together. I did a bit of stitching with wire, too.

I have an idea for the next, fifth, figure. I think this series might be six figures in all. Unless I keep getting ideas. Each one seems to trigger the next.

You really have to use a lot of skills with this sort of work! Now I'm going to do a bit of undemanding napkin hemming. 

Also rest a bit. I'm a bit wobbly from the fall, just nervous, but I did navigate the stairs and forced myself to go to the mailbox so it wouldn't get hard to do. 

And I found why I fell. I'd evidently put my weight on the foot before it was properly over the step, which knocked off the shoe, and I lost my balance. So today I planted my foot firmly on the step, then stepped up, and it worked. Good to learn how to do steps. About time.

A lovely day going before a crash bang wallop

The knitting group was great fun, and here's a finished object. Blocked, worn to work because it was cool enough. It feels wonderful. The knitter is very pleased with it, and spread it out to show the group, now up to four people.

Photo bombing is my current portable item, tea napkins, hemming and mitering.

Then home to tea but first a trip across the street to the mailbox. One step up, and as I was getting the key out, I tripped out of my shoe and came down with a crash.  Shoe flew off, bags here, keys there. 

The good news is that I fell squarely on both knees and both hands, spreading the impact.  Two little girls came running down the street to ask if they could help, was I okay. 

They were too small to help me up, once I'd found I probably hadn't broken anything. Then a woman also running, very concerned, I'm the Aged Auntie in this largely Indian community, and gave me a hand up. Such kind little girls, too.

I made it to my feet, assured her I was only a few steps from my house, and finally I got the mail and made it home.

I hadn't hit my head, luckily stopped falling a couple of inches short of the mailbox cluster, and determined I hadn't broken a wrist, amazing considering the impact. 

Then I proceeded to find arnica pellets, terrific for bruising, and my freezer block wrapped in a towel, also a bag of frozen chopped apples for my wrists. Nearest I could get to the classic frozen peas.

Today I've found various other bruises, and the arnica gel came in handy. I was afraid of finding I needed to limp on both legs, but in fact I navigated the stairs fine, and made tea.

Apart from bandaids on both wrists, which might give rise to questions.. I'm  fine.

Next door neighbor who'd seen Handsome Son the other day with the stepladder and found out about the ceiling lights, stopped by later, to ask and, since I'd decided to just replace the fixture, said fine, I'll install it, let me know when.  

I also wondered if he was tactfully establishing that I was on my feet.

So, speaking of new normal..

.