Important information for crafters with pain in arm or hand.......

When I came upon the blog of Susan Crawford I was looking for information about the workshop she will do in Nantes , at the quiltmarket.

Then I found this post with such important information about pain related to knitting, crochet and so on. I have permission to give you the excersises which are mentioned in this post. For more information I advice you to read the whole post here.
I have a  carpal tunnel syndrom and since I do the exercises it feels better!!!!!

GENTLE WARM UP EXERCISES

1) Warm up soaks and stretches

Perform the stretches in a basin large enough for you to immerse your hand, forearm and if possible, elbow. The water should be as hot as you can stand.

Finger stretch: Stretch out your fingers as wide as you can and hold for a slow count of 10 to 20 seconds. Bend your fingers and hold for a count of 5. Repeat up to 10 times.

Wrist stretch 1: Pull your hand backwards gently with your fingers and hold for a slow count of 10. Repeat with the other hand.

Wrist stretch 2: Make a fist. With your other hand, push down on the fist and flex it forwards towards the wrist. Hold for a slow count of 10. Repeat with the other hand.

2) Quick stretches during the day

Wrist tendon stretch

Place your hands together in the prayer position. Raise your elbows out to the side, keeping the palms together. Spread your fingers wide and bring them together again, slowly, five times. Repeat.

Chin tuck

Good for in a car with a head rest, or lying down with a cushion under your head. Tuck your chin down toward your chest and push your head against the headrest or cushion. Hold for a count of twenty then relax. Repeat 3 times.

Shoulder shrugs

Stand or sit up straight. Shrug your shoulders as high and tight as you can and hold for 10. Relax. Repeat 3 times. Then shrug your shoulders back as far as you can and hold for 10. Relax. Repeat 3 times.

AND FINALLY, THE DONT’S
These are the things we probably all do much of the time!

Don’t keep wrists bent towards you for long periods (flexion) as irritates the nerves and tendons in the wrist.

Don’t tilt your hand in the direction of the little finger (Ulnar deviation) - this position folds the tendons over the wrist bone putting needle strain on the tendons.

Don’t grip or grasp an object for long periods of time. This contracts forearm muscles, pull tendons and creates pressure and rubbing in the carpal tunnel.

Don’t pinch (grasping with only the fingers) – causes additional pressure in the carpal tunnel.

Don’t keep elbows bent forward (as in at a keyboard) for long periods – causes compression of the nerves causing irritation.

Don’t slouch.

Don’t lean over your work. Strains neck and shoulders. Also can impinge on nerve roots.

Don’t keep your arms in a work position for a long period of time, the constant stress of supporting the weight of your arms and your work can irritate the shoulder.

I also go for regular sports massage to relax the muscles and to remove the built up toxins found in them and this helps a great deal. But if you haven't got time for exercising or massages, just change your position regularly, let go of the needles or stop typing, stand up, walk around, move your shoulders, but remember to treat your body gently and with respect.

I just found another blogpost about this problem here. 

Crochet in color 2

In october last year, when i was at the wool festival in Felletin, I told you that I could not resist the Bohemian Rhapsody scarf from renaissance Dyeing.
It was a great pleasure to crochet with all these colors and this soft merino lace yarn;
Of coures I needed to give the scarf my own touch, so I made it less large ( i am a short woman) and I added one extra row to the smallest squares.
And here it is:

Crochet in color

 I still have some yarn from Renaissance Dyeing.  I saw on the web an idea to crochet triangles with two colors. An easy, mindless and quick project to crochet.
For the moment I don't know what to make with it, a pillow cover or a bag.... maybe you have some suggestions?

But there is still some work to do........

It is always a pleasure to work with this yarn, the colors are so lovely together.

Framed Flowers, Free Applique BOM

Gingini is organizing a free BOM, called Framed Flowers.  It is an applique block that you can embellish with embroidery and pearls.

I used felted wool as a background , mine is a bit larger than the original, 15 x 15 cm. I did not frame the flower for the moment because I have no idea how many I will make and what to do with the them.   I made my flower in the Sue Spargo style using her embroidery stitches book for the embellishments.

Another scrappy poststamp quilt and some flowers

I made another scrappy poststamp quilt. I only need to do the binding....... I don't like doing this, but I NEED to finish this quilt before the 24 th of february because it goes to the Netherlands . Maybe a challenge for this week?
The quilt is machinepieced and handquilted with perle cotton .

I have a small veranda against the frontside of my house, there is no heating but when the sun is shining , immediately it is warm inside, even in winter. I showed you before that a pelargonium is blooming. Here is another one.

I have a lot of cuttings growing there. Most of them are pelargoniums but also several salvia's. 

I LOVE salvia's, this is the pine-apple variety with those red flowers, when you touch the leaves they have a smell of pine-apple, you can use the leaves as decoration in a dessert.

Toilet quilts.....

In the old days people who lived in the countryside had their toilet outside in the garden.

Some of these toilets even had several ‘places’….. and they were used by several families.

For cleaning afterwards, they used old newspaper and other recycled papers. In the Quiltmania, nr 79 was an article about these toilets and especially about  the ‘privy bags’ where those papers were kept. 

Between 1820 and about 1920 those bags were used in  the region of Lancaster County.

Some of those bags are beautiful small quilts. I really love them more than our modern toiletpaper holders!

I really love this picture, do you imagine sitting there with your neighbours?

IN my garden is also a toilet , we made it into a hen-house. 

Me and my knitted dress

Willy showed us a picture of her knitted dress  knitted by her mother. They also had knitted underwear.

My mother also was a knitter, as a child i always had knitted dresses, scrafs, hats,mittens and socks . I don't remember knitted underwear but i surely had it, My mother knitted usely with 3Suisses yarn, a good quality , it could be used several times.  Here i am in my knitted dress, with the skipping rope in my hand.  I think the coat was made by my auntie Sjaan.

And another one when I was younger , my brother and me, we often were wearing the same colors, same patterns. Aren't we sweet?

For more knitted dresses go here and here.