I like making things: Hit a bit of a snag!

Sunday, February 19, 2017

Hit a bit of a snag!

The winter tricked me into thinking my knees and arthritis were better. In reality, I was just doing day to day indoor stuff and working on the treadle machine cabinet in the workshop and no outside work so my knees, especially, were not being too strained.

Yesterday I went to the workshop and spray painted the metal sheet inside the cabinet. The day before I had given it a coat of primer so it needed the top coat. I used Rustoleum so it wouldn't rust.

After that, this beautiful weather we are having lured me outside and I decided to get the riding mower going and attach the trailer and go pick up some logs we cut last year, before the snakes come out. This involved dragging the big battery charger outside first, then the air compressor to pump up a partially flat tyre and then the full 5 gallon gas container to fill the mower up. Then it all had to be took back into the workshop.

My husband is so poorly right now he can't help with outside stuff and I am a stubborn cuss and think I can do it all myself.

Well I did all that and drove up to pick up the logs but my right knee went out on me when I was picking them up. I managed to get back on the mower and drive back to the house. It was fortunate we had the windows open and I could call to JET to bring out a walker.

So for now I am chair bound. I am wearing a knee support and using JET's walker to get to the bathroom. Between us we are managing the day to day things like cooking. We are quite the sight with the walkers and wheelchair! I ordered another knee support which I think will be better than my existing one. I can stand and walk with the walker but about every fifth step I get a searing pain go through my knee. That is an improvement on yesterday though so I am hoping with lots of rest and the knee support it will get better quickly.

Earlier in the week I had put in a bid and won a used shuttle for the treadle machine on ebay. It arrived Friday and it fits my machine. It was only $4.25. To buy them new they are $15+ so I was happy with the purchase and it came with two long bobbins too. My machine did have the original shuttle and one bobbin so it wasn't a necessary purchase but I thought if I could get it at a good price it would be worth it to have a spare on hand.

I am itching to get the cabinet finished and put the machine back in and try it. As soon as my knee is a bit better I will get back to it.

2 comments:

Carol- Beads and BirdsFebruary 19, 2017 at 10:23 PM
Yup, that's what we always do. Weather is great and you feel great so out you go and do too much, now there you sit. Terry has slowed down a lot. I just hope we have a good summer so he can enjoy it. You guys slow down!!!
xx, Carol
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I started this blog in 2011: Ever since my Mum taught me to knit at the age of about six or seven I have made things. Back then it was doll clothes. I was also inspired by Mrs Levitt an elderly lady who had a sewing room in a conservatory type room on the back of her house. I would sit and watch her in awe as she sewed.

When I was a child living in England the school system was such that you started at 5 years, did two years in Infant School, then four years in Primary School then five to seven years in Secondary School, depending on whether you chose to stay on after fifth form to get qualifications to go to University. I can't remember much of the Infant school other than making the standard square doily thingy from fabric that had holes in it so you could embroider patterns into it. A bit like the modern day cross stitch fabric but with bigger holes and spaces to make it easy for small hands to use. I also remember with great joy getting a toy sewing machine one Christmas which sewed only chain stitch but I did make doll clothes on it and that was before I started Primary school. I do have very vivid recollections of Primary school and having sewing and knitting lessons. In Primary school I knitted gloves and made a dress from scratch hand sewing it all.

Secondary school continued on with sewing by which time I had progressed to using full sized sewing machines and was making more intricate skirts and dresses. My parents bought me a proper sewing machine when I was thirteen. I used that same machine right up until I emigrated to Canada at age forty six years.

I have always had a fascination for sewing machines and knitting machines. I bought my first knitting machine at around age twenty one from an ad in a newspaper for twelve pounds. I had absolutely no idea what one was just that I wanted one. I trundled on the bus to the address in the advert and handed over my twelve pounds having absolutely no idea what I had really bought. Fortunately it came with a manual. It was an aged Knitmaster, very basic and I loved it. I wore it out. Next was a Brother push button one which I didn't keep because it was at a time in my life when things were difficult. Later on in my life, around forty, when things were better I bought a brand new Brother punchard machine with a ribber attachment. I loved it and made many things. Life took a different turn, I moved countries twice and along the way, regrettably I sold it.

Now, through the universe's blessing I now have another machine. It is a vintage one because they stopped making them early 90's but works perfectly and I love it. So I decided to make this blog to document my knitting progress and include sewing projects.

In 2013: we embarked on a new hobby, leather-work. My husband got started with it and it drew me in. It is something we can do together. We have a workshop so have plenty of room to work. We added another workbench for me to work on in 2013. We already had one but we were tripping over each other both trying to work at it. We only make things we want to make. It is strictly a hobby. We made some things for our good neighbours who help us out a lot. I am also working on Christmas presents. So this blog now incorporates the leather-work. Knitting and sewing will always be my first love though.

Fast forward to 2023 and now age almost 75 years. I have seven sewing machines, four knitting machines, several ribber attachments and a garter carriage for one of the machines. I am blessed beyond words, but I know that I have more than enough machines to keep me going in my lifetime so I don’t think I will be adding to my collection any time soon……….unless a nice embroidery machine manifests itself very cheaply.

I am a Brit living in the USA, sometimes I spell like a Brit and sometimes like an American. Sometimes I use slang and even make grammatical errors. I blog for the pleasure of it and to record my endeavours in the event that my memory fades, as I am sure it will with more age. I will be able to look back and remind myself of the things I have made along the way. So please forgive my mistakes when reading about my life making things here in the hinterlands and I hope you get as much enjoyment from my blog as I do from reading the blogs I follow.

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Sunday, February 19, 2017

Hit a bit of a snag!

2 comments: