Chronic Babes, Alternative Exercise etc.

I got an email from Disaboom today, featuring another site, Chronic Babes.
(and I hope there's a companion site called "Chronic Studs" or something, if not, I hope someone starts one!) Although I may be a bit 'long in the tooth' to be considered a 'Babe' I am definitely still vital and vibrant despite chronic illness.
The site has on it's home page: "If you're a sick chick in search of like-minded folks—the kind of people who are living well in spite of illness—you're in the right place!
I may not be 'living well' but I'm doing my damnedest!

I found under the 'help desk' section, a portion of the site called Beautiful Things. "Who says medical tools and paraphernalia has to be ugly and bland? Or beige? Here are some of our recommendations of vendors and crafters who are making beautiful things to help you live well."

On another part of the site I found and Exercise and Fitness section.

On Disaboom, I found a treasure trove of alternative exercise tips, tricks, workout routines, links ot other sites of use in exercise etc.
Here are some of those links:

Chair Yoga with Lakshmi Voelker Binder (I am using this now, and love it!)

Strength Training From a Chair, including a workout with weights.

Resistance Band Workout. I will do this one once a week, with bands that Liz gave us.

Tips on Choosing a Workout Right For You

I hope these help some one, they helped me.



I think this site will become another of my favorites, along with But you Don't Look Sick.

Best Laid Plans - and Sean Photos

Ah well. My doctor informs me it would be a very foolish choice for anyone with a compromised immune system to go to a convention in the midst of a level 5 flu outbreak. I see her point. It means this weekend, planned for almost a year, will be Oscar's (and Cthulu-guin's) alone. We were going to celebrate our 8th (handfasting) anniversary. We will still celebrate, but not at Penguicon.

I was also looking forward to time with Amanda, Tommy and Sean, but I can see them another time.

When they were here a few days back, Sean fell asleep on Oscar. I love this photo:

Gorgeous day at last

Today is absolutely gorgeous. The perfect temperature, a slight breeze, sunshine, but I'll enjoy it from inside. I worked 10 minutes in the garden yesterday and am paying the price with swollen abdomen and sore, sore hands. Of course, I also played 'bounce baby' with Sean three days in a row. I call it 'Seanercise' :-}

Despite the water weight gain by the big abdomen, another 1.4 pounds is gone according to the scale this morning. I was fully expecting a GAIN as that is usual on the 'day after' any bad exercise for me.

Next week I'll be weighing in the day after a convention (Penguicon), so I should be fairly rested (with perhaps swollen ankles). I spend conventions scooting about in my chair so no belly strain at all. I expect the scale will show more weight loss then.

I still feel as though I am eating too much, ending the day having to cram down anywhere from 5 to 14 points.
But I guess that was part of my problem. I was eating little enough that my metabolism slowed even further.
Weird.
I've eaten more the past two weeks than I have in ages, and yet I'm losing weight. There is logic in there somewhere but dang. It still feels weird. GOOD, but weird.

Marvelous Bags

I was reading my copy of Knit Circus #5 and came across a review of 'KIP Bags'.
Beautiful fabrics, exquisite detailing and clever, useful construction... I was sold.
I went browsing at Ruddawg's Etsy Shop and was delighted. I was even more thrilled when the bags arrived in a few days.
These are so well-made! The larger bags have a fleece bottom which helps the bag stay put when I'm tugging at the yarn inside. all are fully lined, and have little loops where you can hook your project bag onto whatever you are carrying that day, or just your beltloops. They are all closed with sleek drawstrings in full casings, easy to open and close with no fiddling.
Most of the bags (the medium, divided, and small sock knitting bags) also have cunning pockets lining the inside, great places to put stitch markers, measuring tapes, or needles, and are capacious enough to hold more than I thought possible. I'm currently using my larger undivided bag to hold a bolero jacket I'm working on.
And the divided bag. It is FULLY divided, right down to the bottom. No crossover between the two sections. She used interfacing inside the center lining fabric to keep it firm, but not too stiff.
I was a quilter for years. These fabrics are very high quality (in fact, I still have a few of them in my stash, waiting for better times).
There are several basic bags (plus a few in 'miscellaneous')Divided, Medium, Small, Small Sock Knitting and Mini.
The divided bag is terrific for working on two socks at once, or for doing colorwork.
I ended up buying several (and 2 of the smallest) as the prices were great, and the design just what I needed. In fact, I can see myself buying more down the road, I have lots of WIPs (Works in Progress) that could use homes.
Hey, and you quilters? If you do handwork, these would be fantastic. Your applique pieces woul fit perfectly into those pockets.
I am using Ruddawg's photos, with her permission, as the bags are individual, and you can't buy mine :-}

More hats

I found out a little back story on the design of my recent hats. The designer is knitting for the victims of the Australian wildfires. Knitters from all over have sent her yarn, and this hat was one of the designs she made for gifting. I love crafters. :-}
L. liked Lynx's hat so much (and the hats were so quick to make) that I decided ot whip one up for her, too (the black/grey/blue one). Then I decided I wanted one also.
For mine, I felt like having a hat to match a jacket I use in Spring and Fall.
Despite being listed as Aran, this yarn mostly works up as a light worsted I think.
Because of that, the berets I made earlier were not as wide as the pattern's.
For my hat, I added one more round of increases (increasing to 96) and also did an extra set of cross stitch decrease rounds. I like a flamboyant hat most days :-} I did not do the final non-increase cross stitch round.
I would have done the same for Leslie and Lynx, but I didn't have 2 skeins of their colorways.

Hat for Lynx

Lynx and I have been friends for going on 20 years now.
Today I saw a hat I thought she'd like, and decided to take a crochet break.
I'll try and pop it in the mail for her some time this week. :-}
I made it from Noro Silk Garden (45% silk, 45% kid mohair, 5% wool) in color #8, and the pattern is called Beret With Simple Cross Stitch.
I liked it so well I think I'll make another for myself :-}

First Big Step

I lost 5.8 pounds since last Monday.
I got smiles all over me today!

Coinkidink

I was watching a Biggest Loser marathon on the Style channel today, covering the second season (2005). Lo and behold, one of the contestants(who later went on to win the $100,000 for losing the most off campus) is from Ypsilanti (my home town)! his name is Pete Thomas. (link is to his website)

He gives classes. One starts on Monday, but in order to go, Oscar would have to rearrange his work schedule, and I think that's too short of notice to give his boss.
I am pretty sure the classes will be given again, and he often speaks in the area. I emailed him a little of my story, and he replied with encouragement.
I think i will gain more from his classes when I'm a little further down the road. My first weigh in is Monday, after all. :-}

Determination

I used to smoke two packs a day, until I finally quit January 2001. It took several attempts, but I kept at it, and never quit quitting.
Right now, I feel the same way I felt when I quit smoking for the last time. A still small place inside me is rock solid certain it is time to lose this weight.
I KNOW this is gonna work. I will be healthy, and the sexiest thing on wheels.

New journey

I am feeling pretty terrific these days.
Most of last year I was struggling with illness for weeks on end. mostly involving stuff which would be TMI (too much information) to go into with any depth.
Magically, in December, I discovered that the culprit is an old allergy rearing it's head again.
I was allergic to citric acid as a kid, and pretty much got over it, and never associated my symptoms last year with it until a conversation with my mom indicated the symptoms I was having matched what I had as a baby when they discovered the allergy.
Since December I have done my best to avoid it. Every recurrence of my illness matched an encounter with citric acid, up to and including cooking tomato sauce for Oscar's meals.
After months of care, I tried an experiment or two, taking some preventative measures, then eating something with the culprit involved.
I discovered that even though the primary symptom didn't appear, I was very very ill for days following the experiment. And fuzzy brained! including adding soy sauce instead of vanilla to my coffee!
And as I recovered, I realized how much healthier I feel every day than I did all last year.
All this led to me taking a giant step toward better heath. I rejoined Weight Watchers on Monday.
I am so glad to have more of my health back, and imagine how wonderful things will be as I regain energy and strength while losing weight.

Pirates Do Sushi

About a year and a half ago, we wound up having an impromptu sushi meal with several people who were on their way home from the Renaissance Faire in Holly Michigan. I think we may have frightened the restaurant staff, but we all had a great time.
So good a time that Oscar decided it was time to reenact the meal.
He decided to call it "Pirates Do Sushi" and asked the same bunch back, and most of them made it! (with a few additions)
We had a wonderful time again. I'll let the photos speak for themselves.
And yes, I love sushi, even just LOOKING at sushi. Sean, not so into the raw fish yet :-}

Wee thing for me

When Oscar is home, it is impossible for me to focus enough to work on my patterns, so I tend to use the time to try other people's patterns out, often for Sean, or Amanda, or Oscar, but this time for me.
I found a sweet little coin purse pattern HERE which had the added attraction of the challenge of translating it from British crochet terminology to U.S. terminology.
I used some left over Noro Silk Garden (I love the colors) and my new ergonomic crochet hooks, which really do help my hands keep from cramping.
It is the perfect size to carry my drivers license, a credit card, and some cash. I decided it would be most useful if I could hang it around my neck when using the wheelchair at conventions and concerts and such, but the yarn I chose for the body was a little too scratchy for my hyper sensitive neck. I happened to have the perfect 100% silk hand painted yarn in my scrap bag. It matches incredibly well, and is super soft to the touch. I also used a crystal drop bead instead of a button, which makes it look more like jewelry.
I may make more of these, they would make fast and fun little gifts. ( maybe just as coin purses, that's a lot of icord to knit otherwise :-}

Art at the botanical gardens

When we visited Matthaei Botanical Gardens last month, they were exhibiting sculptures by Dianne Austin. I was enthralled. I especially loved the 'The Great Puff' but didn't get a good shot of it. She has better photos of it in the gallery portion of the site I linked above with her name.

Bibbity Bobbity Boob

A few bibs I made for Sean:

one is from a pattern here: Simple Baby Bib (only available on Ravelry as far as I can tell)

The other is one I adapted from a spiral crochet dishcloth's directions. I may write that one up as a pattern, as I made significant changes from the pattern I started with and diverged from spiral bibs I found online.