A month of medical madness

June 16th was my birthday.  It was a nice day - my dad came down to visit for lunch, it was my husband's rostered day off as well, I had a roleplaying session that evening and there was cake. All good, low-key fun. I had the promise of yarn still to come as a present.

A few days later I got sick. The GP said it was a gastro virus, and I believed that right until the morning I woke up unable to see out of the top half of my left eye. Over the course of  the day spent seeing an optometrist and then in the emergency department, I lost it all. I had no perception of light in the left eye. I don't mind admitting I was scared out of my mind. They admitted me to the neurology ward that night.

Since then... it has been an overwhelming and reactive time. I've had an MRI of my brain and I've got a spinal MRI scheduled for later this week. There's been medicine. There's been so much blood taken for so many tests. I've had a lumbar puncture so they can test spinal fluid. And I've been having plasma exchange sessions which are freaky and draining and horrible and I can only be glad that I can do them as an outpatient (only spent five nights in hospital thank goodness) and that they are making a difference - my vision is returning rapidly.

I'm still waiting on more tests for a diagnosis but the doctors have hinted at what they think it is. I'm trying not to worry too much until I get said diagnosis.  Easier said than done!

While in hospital and fretting about my lack of vision I got my husband to bring in two hooks (9mm and 6mm) and some DK weight yarn and I did some experimenting with an almond stitch pattern I'd seen in Simply Crochet magazine and wanted to try.  The almond stitch is wavy rows of dc, htr, tr and dtr alternating with rows of dc with spike stitches in the lowest points. The example in the magazine is done in various shades of pink with dove grey in between and it looks very elegant.

The 9mm was way too big a hook for the yarn, It served its purpose - yes, I could see well enough with only one eye to crochet - but it created a big mess. I did get some comments from nurses and other patients in my bay.

On to the 6mm hook, I did this one in red and green yarn and it looks quite Christmassy.

Experimental almond stitch in red and green

Sunday was a friend's birthday party. A little while ago she had been to a spa and they'd used a crocheted wash cloth and I was going to make her two for her birthday. Sadly I was running behind, with about an inch and a half of one washcloth done in Tunisian crochet before my medical drama started. I was determined to give her at least one as a birthday present so hurried to get it done.

It got finished on the morning of the party so it isn't blocked, leaving it not square and a bit curly at the edges.  I'd made one for myself in silk but this friend is a vegan so I went with an eco cotton in a lively variegated green.

Even without blocking, I'm glad to have finished it in time and also relieved to know I'm recovering enough to craft.

Starting conversations about craft

Visits to my obstetrician involve a lot of waiting. It isn't that they are always running late, although as with any doctor's appointment there is an element of that. But I see the midwife first, then I return to the waiting room until I see the obstetrician. Usually I just take a book but last week I took a panel of the argyle baby blanket I am crocheting. ("English Beat" from Candi Jenson's Candy Blankies, for the very interested; I've changed the background colour to a cream rather than the yellow and the blues are a shade darker each. Pictures when finished.) I've never had that much conversation happening in the waiting room before! The receptionist, the midwife (who is a knitter) and another lady and I all had a nice chat about what I was making, and knitting vs. crochet, and why it is only worth working with nice quality wools.

I mention this because I've set myself the challenge of getting more conversations going about craft generally, and what I'm doing in particular. In a way it is leading up to launching Parlour Duck crafts as a business, when I need to be prepared to talk about what I'm doing, but it is also linked to promoting craft in public generally.  Working on projects in public seems like an obvious way of starting such conversations. I haven't yet got to the stage where I'm comfortable starting a conversation with someone with someone who is clearly watching what I'm doing, as I can't yet judge whether they are interested particularly or just in lack of anything else to look at on the bus!

Another technique, inspired by the talented Tanith Rowan, is wearing things I've crafted in public.  The week before last I did a learn to knit class at Morris & Sons, which I'll blog about soon, and I wore a cardigan I'd crocheted. When we were introducing ourselves, and I mentioned I crocheted, the teacher asked if I'd made what I was wearing, and I was happy to be able to say yes and it got several admiring comments. The cardigan actually is a bit baggy and very much an overshirt normally, but I wore it fastened over my ever-growing baby bump with a silver pin shaped like gum nuts, and it fell nicely open from that point. Far more stylish as maternity wear than its usual "lounging around the house" wear.

I can't help but think that I am missing some ways to start more craft conversations - any ideas?