When I last left you I had stopped knitting in fear that knitting had caused the pain I was experiencing in my arm. I gave it a lot of thought and decided it was a pinched nerve (disc problem in my neck). This past Wednesday I visited my doctor, who had never seen me before because I really don’t like going to doctors) and, after hearing all my symptoms, he agreed with my diagnosis. He gave me some medication that has alleviated my pain and this morning I got to experience an MRI. Lying perfectly still for 39 min is almost an impossibility for me but I made it and now await a discussion with said doctor about what my options are.
Anyway, above is the sweater I am back working on. All I have to do is knit and pearl many more rows to get it to the length I want. It is pretty easy knitting and allows me to watch old romantic comedies on TCM.
So today I started a new cardigan sweater. I love this bulky weight yarn that is a purple heather (cant remember the maker but will post that later). I am only just on the 3rd row so you can see I have a way to go. I also am going to need a row counter because this sweater is not like the one above, I will be knitting the back, two fronts and two sleeves and I really want the pieces to match. 
I did want to share the yarn holder I “made.” I bought some fruit at the grocery store and it came in this plastic container. As I looked at the container it was just a little bigger than the ball of yarn I was going to be using, Today I poked a hole in the lid and sanded it smooth. Look how it feeds out: pretty cool, huh? I actually have two of them but the other is not in use ……. yet.
The above two sweaters are my studio knitting projects. In the house I work on my toe up socks. These are going to be very industrial, for warmth. But even if they are not beautiful, I have such fun knitting toe up socks that I am going to look for some really bright yarn for my next sock project.
I have been inspired by Teresa in Music City who showed these socks at Patchwork Times. Aren’t they beautiful?
So I guess that is all that has been going on my needles. But I can tell you that I have enjoyed every stitch I have been able to return to. And I do want to thank everyone who wished me well after I whined in my last post. I did appreciate the concern: it made me feel better.
Have a wonderful weekend, I know I will. Gari
Looky, looky, I actually have something on the design wall besides the Owl blocks (which are just to the right of this charity quilt top. I am calling it Nothing is all Black and White. The colored bits are batiks cut at random sizes
I have the binding sewn, just need to press it.
However that is going to have to wait as the frame has this baby quilt on it. I am using Minkie, again, as the backing but this time I did not put batting between the top and the backing. I am having some tension problems, I think because there is no batting to stabilize it, so it is taking a little longer than I planned.
This is how I am quilting the plain blocks and then there are swirls in the owl blocks.
Another thing that has slowed down my quilting progress is that I think I have developed a pinched nerve that is negatively affecting my right arm. I am pretty much all right when I am sitting but when I stand up I am experiencing pain and tingling like my arm is going to sleep. And half of my thumb is asleep all the time. So I am mostly knitting with just a little sewing until I see the Dr. on the 20th and start figuring out what is wrong and what can be done about it. Meanwhile I have been learning how to live with ice bags which seems to help, until I stand up.
I will, as always, be linking up with Patchwork Times. Have a great week. Gari
I have moved this charity quilt to the frame where it is resting, waiting for me to make the backing. I can’t remember if I told you the name I have chosen, it is “Nothing is All Black and White.”
I started on the backing but made some mistakes. Here is where I sewed two pieces of fabric to one piece, not planned: I had done one full seam and half of the second when I noticed there were the two fabrics stuck together. So I started to unsew the seam and then saw that I had done the same thing with the preceding seam. It was then that I decided that I was feeling somewhat frustrated and needed to stop what I was doing and spend some time peacefully knitting.
This is my plan for the backing. Each row will be 20” and the colored pieces will be randomly placed.
I did get one finish for August. This little wall hanging was made last year but I didn’t get around to binding it until this last week. I have a table runner that also needs binding but I seem to have run out of black fabric. Oh, my, I guess I need to go fabric shopping. 
Oh, I got this pattern from Rhonda at Ravelly1.
