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Hi!

This is a well overdue update. Life and sickness has got in the way of blogging but at least offline I have still managed to knit and crochet.

For some months now I have bern plagued by a series of chest infections leading to complications with asthma. I have had asthma many years but until now it had never been a game changer. Since the summer I have had numerous trips to the emergency room (including last night) and I am on quite a heady mix of medicines. I now have my own nebulizer machine to inhale the relief medicine – it comes out as steam to reach the smaller inflamed bronchial tubes and it is very good. I used it today in fact whilst at my local cafe/knitting office. I hope it is enough but last night a new infection needed interventions with the hospital inhalation machine, steroids and antibiotics…

I am grateful for the care of I have received by nurses, paramedics, doctors and those lovely friends and family close to me offering moral support.

Ironically I have trained many years to breathe as a musician primarily on clarinet and saxophone. This is the year I started my own business and this is an extra blow to be unable to play for enjoyment or for actual paid work. I am doing my best to manage to keep up my teaching (on piano and sax) which I love doing and incredibly I am now Assistant Conductor of two orchestras in Stockholm – one a wind orchestra the other a symphony orchestra. I can’t tell you how exciting that feels – if a little daunting.

Really hoping health will turn around but as ever, the tough times it is the handicrafts that keep me sane. I am working simultaneously on a crochet project, aptly called Mandala Madness and I have bern knitting socks in very bright and cheerful colours. Definitely helps to keep calm and focus on something positive. The medicines I take can make me a bit shaky and the perfect antidote is wool and a cup of ginger tea!

The pictures show progress so far on the Mandala Madness and two pairs of completed knee-high socks. The grey ones are mine and the bright blue made to order with the instructions on colour choice to “go crazy!”

Knee high socks pattern on Ravelry was the main base for the design though I made some changes and of course, colour choices make them fun and unique. In fact, the friend of lady I made the blue pair of socks for just collected them to pass them on and she loved them so much that she has ordered leg warmers…

Here is to healthier times and thankfulness to have the constant companion of creativity in yarn! ❤