Crochet
Stylecraft blog tour is almost over…
Its October already and the Stylecraft Blog Tour for 2017 is in full swing. This is just a quick post with an update about why I’ve been a bit quiet recently and a bit of background to the blog tour this year.
Well, to start with, where the heck have I been. Well, apart from visiting my daughter in Clapham Common in London, not very far at all. And even then I only took a few pics…
I did enjoy some of the art in the Saatchi gallery on the Saturday – there was even a bit of crochet, knitting and stitching to look at. Interesting but those ends bothered me… when I wasn’t wincing and taking painkillers…
OK, so last thing you need when reading a crochet blog is to hear about boring health problems but I’m afraid I’ve got one and its been driving me nuts. No idea how I did it but I’ve got a trapped nerve in my neck. It could have been the mega dyeing sessions pre Yarndale or the lifting and carrying at the show or something totally random – who knows. It started a few days after I got back from such a good time in Skipton and then just got worse.
The upshot is has literally been a right pain in the neck… and shoulder, left arm, elbow and fingers, complete with pins and needles and all sorts of weird sensations. Its due to inflammation around my 6/7 cervical vertebrae, which is compressing the nerves that come out there and go down my left arm. I know this because I was so affected by it I sought the help of a chiropracter. She diagnosed the problem and told me that the only way to get it to heal is to rest, use cold ice packs, ibuprofen and gentle exercises. I’m also going twice a week for massage and manipulation treatment with her and there certainly has been some improvement during the last few days.
Which is why I’m able to be back on my blog at last. I’ve only now felt up to sitting at the computer long enough to write something that is not utter drivel (well, hopefully). Dyeing is out of the question (no lifting of dyepots and buckets of water allowed) and photography for the Etsy shop has been difficult. It requires, as I’ve found out, lots of bending forwards, which is another complete no-no. And no podcasting because I Â haven’t been able to face sitting at the computer to do the editing.
The good news is that the improvements, plus an orthopaedic neck pillow, mean that I am now getting a decent sleep at night, which is helping to make me feel much more perky.
So, there you go, far too much detail and whingeing already but I couldn’t leave it any longer without letting everyone know why I’ve been so absent. I’m ready for my post in the Stylecraft Blog Tour tomorrow – that  has had to be my priority – and fortunately, resting on the sofa supported by cushions has not stopped me crocheting! Hurrah! I would have been in a pickle if that had been banned too.
The Stylecraft Blog Tour 2017
This is the third year of the Stylecraft Blog Tour and I’ve been lucky enough to participate in all of them. For the first year, I made the Rainbow Tote bag, which I still love and use regularly. Last year I made the Blandala – the giant mandala circular blanket, which was also a big hit.
This year I’ve gone for something quite different but you will need to wait to see my post on Sunday 29th October to find out what it is… I chose the autumnal themed colour pack and here is a sneaky peak of the lovely colours. The yarn is a mixture of Stylecraft Batik and Batik elements and they go really well together.
The other colourpacks were equally gorgeous. Â I love the subtlety of the colours. There is nothing brash about them and the gentle stonewash effect really works well. Combined with the softness and plumpness of the yarn, which is 80% acrylic and 20% merino, its a winner.
This is the lagoon colourway:
The Country garden colour pack:
And the rainforest colour pack:
My lovely fellow blogstars have posted some phenomenal projects and patterns and next week I’m going to put together a round up of the entire blog tour. And hopefully, fingers crossed, record a podcast at long last 🙂
xxx See you soon for my blogtour post and pattern. It will be a paid pattern but its available on a BIG discount for the first 10 days after its launched and there will be lots of free patterns in a giveaway on my blog, on Facebook, Instagram and, when I get there, the podcast. And my blog post on the day will be running a competition to win a pack of the desert colourway xxx Kathryn
Aw Kathryn sorry to hear you’re not feeling well. I know what a pain in the neck is like, I’ve had three sessions of physio in the last two weeks so I totally understand .
I missed your podcasts and now know why. Wishing you well really really soon.
Mind yourself x
Sounds very painful. Hope you are better soon. Xxx
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Gordon Bennett, this font is tiny. Posting again with correct website address.
I did wonder where you’d got to! Hope it all gets better very soon and you can do all the things you love without pain.
So glad to see your post. I’ve been checking to find Kathyrn. Take care.
So glad you are starting to feel better..does sound v painful! Take great care and continue with the proven restorative power of yarn manipulation! 🙂
Wishing you much improved health, very soon. And I’m glad it hasn’t stopped you doing the blog tour. Px
oh dear…nothing worse than constant pain.. it really messes with your mind as well.. I know from experience! get well soon.. and don’t do anything to undermine your improvement! Take care!
It certainly does Barb – it becomes the focus, which is not good. And when its painful I know its causing further damage so I have to take it slowly. Thanks for your kind words xxx
You have been so missed, so pleased to hear from you and do hope that you continue to get better, but take your time, you are worth it!! x x
Thank you Zilah – its a good lesson for me when I try to do too much I think. But I will be podcasting very soon xxx
So pleased to hear you are ok! Have missed your podcasts. Get better soon. Chiropractors are miracle workers and worth their weight in gold; I’ve suffered with my back for years and my chiropractor is my first point of call when it flares up. Take care : )
Thank you Amelie – I will and working towards another podcast carefully xxx