I like making things: April 2026

Thursday, April 30, 2026

2 week post op was all good

It's been two weeks now. Pain is much reduced but arm has to stay in the sling for another 4 weeks. They took off the outer dressing today which looked like duct tape. There is still a white strip left but the doc said it will be gone in about 2 weeks.

I have one more exercise to do now several times a day. I can let the arm hang down by my side for a few minutes at a time.

Dressing is difficult one armed and so is typing. I need help with showering but I can do an awful lot one handed I am finding.

Not being able to drive has been a pain, not to mention costly, having to get a ride service has stretched the budget.

We did find a handyman though for some small jobs we needed doing, that was a blessing and now we have someone to call when we need other jobs doing.

Husband has been an amazing help for which I am grateful.

Not much else happening, but that is a good thing.

Appetite came back today so we ordered Pizza delivery which was delicious.

Sunday, April 19, 2026

Surgery done and I am home

It went well the doctor said. I have to keep my arm in an immobilizing sling for six weeks. Feeling pretty rough. Will update when I feel better.

Monday, April 6, 2026

Been down with the flu!

I have had a bout of something yukky, I hope I am on the road to recovery. I did clear post op testing so the surgery is set for the 17th. I didn't know I was sick when I went for post op thingy, I thought it was my allergies, but it got a lot worse.

This was me this morning lol. Apologies for the profanity but it is so apt!

First meals on wheels came this morning. Haven't tried it yet but it looks pretty darned good. I forgot when I asked for them to start today that it was Easter weekend and I have a ham also, barely touched. I foresee a lot of the ham being frozen in the next day or so.

It will come in useful when I am in the sling for 6 weeks.

Our new aide started today. Not sure if she will work out, she seems to just want to sit around and chat. We need help, not company. We have each other for that. She didn't volunteer to do anything. Had to be asked all the time. She sat while I worked! Something wrong with that picture.

Maybe she will get better.

Hope all is good in your worlds.......

Glad you stopped by

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.