The Terrier Strikes

Over the summer, after quitting my second job, I started going to a weekly knit group in an effort to make friends and build community here in Illinois. I've been enjoying going, and Coleslaw has always behaved very well while I've been out. I give her a Busy Bone before leaving, make sure all my knitting projects are well out of reach, and trust her to find a sunbeam on the couch and just veg for a couple hours. 

Until last week, when I came home and found a hole in the couch cushion and two and a half bites taken out of the foam. (She has never chewed on upholstery before this! I don't know what got into her!)

Now, this couch is old. I got it for free off Facebook Marketplace, and it's very solidly built and very comfortable, but the fabric is definitely showing its age, and I've known since I got it that I was going to have to reupholster it at some point. However, a couch worth (even for a small couch!) of upholstery fabric isn't cheap, and reupholstery is an intense project and can be rough on the hands (see: my longstanding hand issues*), so I've been hoping to put it off for a couple years.

Since reupholstery isn't in the cards right now, and needing to cover up the exposed foam to prevent Coleslaw from eating any more of it, I broke out my handy dandy darning skills for a quick visible mend.

I'm pleased with how it came out! I flipped the cushion upside-down so that the mend isn't immediately visible, but it serves its purpose and will buy me some time until I have the time/money/hand function to actually dive into reupholstering the couch. 

*Speaking of my hand issues, I saw orthopedics last Monday and was immediately scheduled a surgery consult, which I had on Friday. It turns out that "severe" carpal tunnel doesn't just mean that you have severe symptoms, it also means that there's already been permanent damage to the nerve, so we definitely want to do a carpal tunnel release to prevent any further damage as well as give me some relief. My first surgery is scheduled for early December, so this winter is going to be rough—while you can use your fingers right away after the surgery, you're limited to a one-pound weight restriction for that hand for a few weeks while it heals, and recovery is 4-6 weeks per side. But I figure I just have to get through about three very tough months and then even if my hands never reach 100% they'll still be much better than they are now.

Septembering

Happy almost fall! We've still been having summer temperatures here, but it looks like the heat will finally break over the weekend and we'll be in the seventies all next week. I have been gazing longingly at my corduroys and novelty sweatshirts, and I'm so excited for cooler weather to start coming in. Summer's always rough for me, between summer-onset seasonal depression and heat triggering a few of my medical conditions, so nothing beats the first few days of needing a flannel or cardigan on our morning walk as a sign of my favorite seasons' imminent arrival. 

As most of you know, September is my birth month, and I had a really nice birthday! My biggest birthday gift to myself was Coleslaw's yearly appointment, which cost more than I expected, but she's in great health, and now I know how much to set aside for next year. This year was the year of DVD musicals for me: my family gave me Cats (2019), The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall, Love Never Dies, and the Les Misérables 25th anniversary concert. I also got two books from one of my favorite writers, and yarn for a New York Sour (Ravelry Link). Cake this year was carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, which I don't make super often because of the prep work for it, but it's always delicious.

 

 

I also finished my striped sweater this month, and I'm really looking forward to wearing it this fall and winter! It came out exactly as I hoped, and I didn't run out of yarn! I have leftovers of all three colors, which I'm setting aside for a worsted weight scrappy mitered square blanket at some point.

Seaming it up took five whole episodes of Criminal Minds (my current rewatch), and my hands definitely were bugging me, but the result is so worth it. I'm absolutely smitten.

Speaking of my hands, I was finally diagnosed with severe carpal tunnel syndrome. It's no secret that my hands have been giving me a lot of trouble for a long time, and I'm looking forward to seeing the orthopedist and coming up with a plan of attack for that. Given the severity of my issues and the length of time it's been going on, I know that there's likely not going to be a quick fix, but I'm definitely looking forward to the day when I can write by hand, hold a cup of coffee, drive, and, yes, knit without needing to take breaks.