Hi, long time no speak!
Instagram followers will have heard briefly about my misadventure in crochet, in which I – someone with an issue with their hands, going on for over two years now – thought it would be a really good idea to try crocheting again and in the process really stuffed up said hands and near incapacitated myself for the last three weeks or so. In this time, I haven’t really been able to make anything, nor really could I type with any efficiency (also a problem, since alongside my day job I’m a freelance transcriptionist!) so this poor blog got a little neglected.
My hands still aren’t totally recovered, but they very rarely are – unfortunately the nature of my RSI and joint weirdness is such that it doesn’t really go away, as using your hands is pretty unavoidable and so they can’t rest sufficiently. It’s something I’ve learned to work around. I’m also very lucky that I’ve got an incredibly supportive fiancé who is prepared to help with cutting out when needed, and the other tasks I find most difficult – including also reminding me to have a break, take the day off and stop causing myself problems by being stubborn!
I think of myself so clearly as A Crafter that the idea of not being able to participate in creation is really upsetting. Since I started having this pain issue I’ve cried a heck of a lot about the possibility my hobbies are being taken away from me. I’m learning more patience and to use the time when I can’t physically be sewing to redirect that energy into planning, designing and researching. So! In the last three weeks I have:
- Got pretty close to deciding exactly what I want my wedding dress to look like, shown some close friends who approved of my vision and worked further towards understanding how I get from here to there and what patterns I’ll need to hack together
- Found a pattern I think will be suitable for our Best Woman
- Received beautiful Yorkshire tweed samples from the Fabworks mill shop, from which we’re going to make the waistcoats for my partner, my brother and my future father in law (we had planned a trip to visit the mill shop in person, but alas, COVID) – I also accidentally ordered the same fabric sample twice, and on both occasions it was the same one my partner chose which goes to prove it absolutely is the right choice!
- Started researching some sort of medieval garment (tbc but maybe looking 14th century) to join the SCA in the Future Time when going outside is allowed
- Made a sneaky wishlist of patterns I’d really like to try, which has been gently proffered towards family members for festive gift season just in case they are so inclined to support my habit
Whilst it does upset me when I can’t get on with things straight away, adapting to this pace can only be a good thing if it means I get to carry on creating. And I’ve got so many ideas to take forwards!