Back to work today!
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Back to work today!
Good luck! Glad you're starting to get back to normal!
YAY!!!....more steps towards full recovery......hoping the day brings you lots of good feelings!!!!!!
Now I want to strap on my hiking boots...now remember that I still have the THINK about walking properly so it's too early. Hopefully I can in 2 weeks, at least for a very short hike. I really need those boots for off-pavement due to my arthritic feet.
Thanks to all for hanging in with me this last month or so. Things are improving, though I still haven't quite mastered stairs - especially going downstairs...
So here is an image of the wrap I just completed blocking, it took a solid month of knitting to do it but I didn't have much else to do. I read in the morning and started knitting in the mid-afternoon. Yes, it IS that long - ~76 inches long and about 14 inches wide. I blocked it to be 17 inches wide but the tight stitches pulled it back a bit, I suspect that is why the designer stressed the need for "extreme" blocking and gave such huge dimensions to block it do. Hard to see the detail, so the second image provides a small snapshot of a couple of the pattern blocks. Not bad for only the second knitting project I've ever done, am quite surprised at how nice it turned out!
Sorry, the images don't seem to be clickable, so I've provided another link that will hopefully allow details to be seen if you desire to see more.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...dea7b5039f.jpg
(detail link here)
(Full image detail link here - quality isn't as good as I would like)
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...f11244a45d.jpg
That is really nice! I don't know what blocking entails but it does answer a question I've always had about knitting, how do you make things square again.
If it is wool, basically you soak it in water for 30 minutes or so, squeeze out as much water as you can (no wringing!!!!), and lay it flat until it dries. Depending on the article it may need to be pinned into the proper shape. THIS project required wires that were inserted through every little stitch on all four sides, then the WIRES pinned into place to assure the proper dimensions. Normally wires are only used for blocking lace, but also for other projects with straight edges that need aggressive blocking. It took me quite some time, given I can't get on the ground or crawl around on my knees yet ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Pax
isn't that called sisterhood :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Catrin
the wrap looks great and like a warm addition to winter days/nights at home!!!!!
i see a successful esty site for your selling beautiful knitting :)
Yes it is, and that sisterhood is still while I'm still around even though I can't ride any longer!Quote:
Originally Posted by rebeccaC
I've looked at Etsy, and many of hand-knitted wool items I've seen there are asking prices that MIGHT cover the the cost wool (some of them not at all), never mind the many hours it can take to knit an object. My magic power is pretty cool (string and then waving 2 connected sticks around a lot to create lovely warm items), but it isn't quick - unless you are at home for a month recovering from knee surgery :cool: There are some nice knitted items on Etsy, and they all aren't at bargain basement prices.
Wow, very nice!
Aw shucks, thanks :D What amazes me is this is only my second knitting project! It came out much better than I dreamed possible. Next I am taking on a cardigan, and am taking a class on that one.Quote:
Originally Posted by OakLeaf
The knee is improving, though walking is still challenging, and stairs and me haven't yet become friends. I live in a 2nd floor walkup that I can maneuver, but we had a serious problem yesterday when the evacuation alarm went off in my building. I work on the 19th floor...thankfully by the time I hemmed and hawed around they cancelled the alarm, it was not a drill. They've evacuation chairs for people like me, but we didn't have access to one. My director was quite unhappy when we realized this and has ordered one just for our office. May there be no more such events until I am bounding up and down the stairs again!
So while my knee is lagging (to me, they tell me I'm doing well), I successfully did some kettlebell deadlifts and clean/presses tonight with no pain! Cautiously, light weights but the movements were fine. And yes, I've permission :-)
Sounds good, Catrin. Hopefully, there will be no emergencies in your office until your knee is better.
All the talk of knitting reminds me of my mom. I remember talk of sweaters needing to be blocked. She definitely took it to the yarn shop for that. However, I am pretty sure she knew how to do it in her later years. After they moved to San Diego, she worked in a yarn shop for a few years. I never realized what a business that is, and how many people knit. Of course, this is because I did not inherit the gene to do any handwork.
When I was in college, I had a part time nanny job for a woman who designed patterns for Spinnerin (sp?) and also worked at a yarn shop, even though she was a scientist. She was so talented. Years later, I saw her regularly on NBC News as an economics/financial advisor. What a combination of careers.
It is interesting just who you find knitting. Apparently it is very good for the brain as well as the hand, it keeps both limber :)
BTW, I was convinced I couldn't do it either until my hands got so bad I had no choice but to give it a serious shot.
Whooohoooo! FIRST kettlebell group training class this morning. Light workout, my coach is being quite vigilant, but it went well. It is good to be getting back into our little community. Also went hiking for about 30-35 minutes this afternoon with Winding Road. Slow pace, but with my new brace, hiking boots and hiking stick my knee/leg was far more stable than I was afraid it might be. I DID make certain that there was 6 hours between kettlebells and trail. I will only be in group once a week until I'm released from PT.
The quad still needs quite a lot of strengthening, but it felt great to actually be outside in the woods - even on a trail that I normally wouldn't consider hitting since it is so featureless. That lack of "trail personality" is what made it perfect for my first attempt at non-pavement walking. I did reach the point where my knee wasn't sure about it all - but that was literally 5 steps away from the picnic table at which we ended our hike :D I don't think I could do it without boots boots and brace, I will try it again tomorrow I think :cool:
Yay!!!
Wow, it sounds like you are doing well!
Good going, Catrin! I am sure it feels good to be back!
Thanks Oak :-)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crankin
Crankin & Emily - it does feel good, but it is also that "dangerous" stage when I want to assume that I can now do anything I want to do with no hinderance. I AM the "Queen of Overdoing", at least I've been in the past. So now I am trying to push my boundaries but spiced with common sense - not just "open the gates, it's time to GO". Certainly some of you have seen me do that a few times since I've been on TE.Quote:
Originally Posted by emily_in_nc
No hiking today, knee was bothering me more this morning than it has been so I put off my little hike today...it will happen first thing tomorrow morning :cool: Back to the "personality challenged trail", but hopefully that will change soon! VERY thankful I've those new hiking boots I bought in June though - I doubt I could do it even with the brace without them.
Catrin - I feel your thrill! I walked my first mile today!! It's been a long slog and I know how good those milestones can feel.
Really tired of hearing people tell me how their best friends moms cousin who was 93, had a knee replacement and walked a mile two weeks after a knee replacement. What the hell EVER. We all heal differently, I've been working my butt off but my knee is taking forever to heal... it's get there when it gets there.
Yayyy Pax! I didn't get near a mile in my hike yesterday, at least I don't think so. Forcing myself to focus on time, not distance and I am slow...but not as slow as I was!
Congratulations on your walk yesterday! I hear you about that moms friends cousin amazing recovery, I must know someone who knows her as well. :-) All I can say is I know the challenge from a scope plus lateral release. Can't imagine what it must be like to recover from a full replacement!
I DID go hiking this morning and actually tracked things this time [1.02 miles in 28 minutes]. That is right at half my normal hiking speed on a "no personality" trail (I'm a fast walker naturally/normally) but I will take it for a starting point! AND...that was without my brace. I didn't forget it intentionally but as that trail is close to a half-hour drive from my apartment I wanted to at least attempt it. If the trail had more character I wouldn't have attempted it at all. I won't do that again for some time to come but it was also encouraging. Every day I seem stronger, and I will take that! I actually didn't expect to get far without my brace, but those hiking boots rock - apparently my knee likes them even more than I new! They are NOT light hikers, true backpacking boots but they are not heavy in weight and my arthritic feet like them as well.
Woo HOO!! Impressive hike, congrats!
Things continue to improve! My knee is grumpy today but yesterday I walked 2 miles round trip for a work meeting, had a PT session, and a scaled kettlebell training session. My walking pace is about 85% of my normal pace. I will take it 😎
I bet you are glad you had the surgery.
You know, while I've still some healing to do that may take months to complete, I think that I am. Even if the knee doesn't get back to quite what it was prior to the fall, in some ways it is already better. The knee had no "margin for error" as far as resources from which to draw from to recover from the brutal fall and while I knew the knee was bad, I didn't know just HOW bad.Quote:
Originally Posted by Crankin
Winding Road and I just hiked for a little over 3 miles :D Knee feels great, though of course I do wear a brace for hiking. We didn't do too badly considering we are both recovering from surgery!
Glad the healing is going well! Now don't tempt WindingRoad into overdoing it. ;)
We focus on not allowing the other to over-do things - we seem to be about the same place as far as what our bodies will tolerate so we are are well matched for hiking together. I'm amazed at how much she can do only 2 weeks out - she has actually been walking far longer (time-wise) than I've been.Quote:
Originally Posted by OakLeaf
Yay! Happy dance! :pQuote:
Originally Posted by Catrin
To be honest, we weren't planning on going that far, it just worked out that way. She could have gone longer, my knee called an end to things.
I want to do much more hiking this year. I've still most of my thermal riding clothes and mixed with some good winter hiking boots it should be fine. Hoping for a cold dry winter rather than lots of snow but we will see.
Ha, Ha, if there's lots of snow, than you will get snow shoes. Of course, you don't want to put too much strain on that knee, so you will get state of the art, light weight ones.
There's always some temptation.
Yes there is :cool: that being admitted, snow shoes aren't a temptation for me. New hiking boots ARE! I've some great hiking boots already so I will wait and see how things go. If it doesn't get that cold and I've lovely wool hiking socks then my current boots might be fine. At some point I will head inside for the winter so am not in a hurry to get more hiking footwear for my arthritic feet until I see if they will be used.Quote:
Originally Posted by Crankin
Today's hike was more challenging than expected, but the trail is a little more difficult. Normally I would consider it a very easy trail but this isn't a normal time for me. No knee buckling but there were several places where my quad/knee had problems working out what to do on the combination of uneven ground and downhill incline. I just took my time in those places and did what felt most safe even if that meant standing frozen in place while my body worked it out. Very thankful for my hiking stick, don't think I could have done it without it. A whopping 1.3 miles in 38 minutes but I'm pretty happy with that, all things considered.
I've been released from formal PT to a home program - I see my Ortho in another 4 weeks. He says I'm doing great, though it may be another couple months until I've fully recovered (or recovered as much as is going to happen). He likes the kettlebells and hiking and wants me to continue with both. This is good...as I wasn't planning on stopping either. We did discuss how to increase my strength to handle down-hill hiking but he is still happy with things. I asked about using 2 sticks as some I've seen do but he very strongly told me to just use one. Good news, I will take it!
Curious as to his reasoning. We have long used two hiking poles when hiking on hilly terrain and find them very helpful. Not sure why one would be better than two?Quote:
Originally Posted by Catrin
My current problem is quad strength, he thinks it will take longer for me to get it back if I use two...I need to think about this. Perhaps two of them would make my leg work less and be too much of a crutch? He wants me to walk on hilly pavement during the week and hit the woods on the weekend.
I do also wonder if he is really thinking I might go to overly aggressive trails with two poles and get myself in trouble? Right now that can be quite easily done, Saturday proved that. Then again, how can I gain strength in that leg if I don't push the boundaries a bit?
I was curious about that as well, I can see overdoing it if you used both, but I really like the balance aspect on uneven terrain.
I'm still thinking about this one. If my quad strength is the problem when I get on a slight decline with uneven terrain, wouldn't two be better than one for support? I don't need excuses to overdo things, the number of sticks won't make any difference. I AM doing all I can on leg strength but it is slow coming.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pax
I am also thinking my hands might prefer the smaller trekking poles than my thick hiking stick. I won't decide right away but it is food for thought.
You might ask your doctor specifically what he had in mind??
Instinctively I can see it, having spent most of my college years with doctors telling me to "just stay off" my knee rather than rehab it, which in those days was pretty much unheard of. On a narrow staircase (two hand support) I could go up and down to my fourth-floor dorm room without ever putting weight on my bad knee. Single sided support (wider staircases) meant both legs got at least some use. With two poles, you almost have to use them for support, unweighting both legs - the alternative is to carry the poles sideways! With one, you'll switch it hand to hand, for balance only.
Glad you're continuing to heal.
Catrin, after reading this, I am wondering if your doctor is just not very knowledgeable about hiking poles? Sounds like using just one might cause more harm than good:
http://adventurebuddies.net/blog/201...-than-one-yes/
That's just one link of many I found from googling...you can do further research, of course, but this article was very convincing.
Hiked 2.2 miles today in 50 minutes. That isn't bad! I was on a trail that has SOME personality - not much but some. Things have improved since last Saturday - though this was a less aggressive trail than what I attempted last weekend. What uneven terrain there was presented no problem, there was only a couple places with a decline (not enough to call it a down-hill) where I had to slow down. At no point did I need to freeze and give my body a chance to figure it out :cool: There were a couple times when the knee was right at the edge of feeling like it wanted to give out, but it never did and I will take that!
For now I will stick with the one hiking stick - while I want to help my body out I also don't want to make it TOO easy for that right leg. It needs to work to get stronger...My current trails are very easy, but I will revisit this decision next year when I can hopefully progress to more advanced trails.
Did you hike at EC today? I'm glad you knee held up today :D