Freedom from the Albatross*

I think I am getting stuck on Albatross* this, Albatross* that.  It just feels so good to let go of an annoying project in such a constructive way – writing up a pattern that may be of some benefit to someone else.  Although I have not gotten a lot of comments on the Albatross Socks*, a lot of people have clicked on the pattern, so I guess that is good news.

With the encroaching graduation of my students, I am looking for something to do, and have settled on to designing a lightweight sweater in cotton.  I’ve had this yarn lying around since 2005 (found the receipt in the bag), and to break the boredom of the being Connected to the Cold Pack, I decided to dig out a few knitting books.  In particular, I dug out Eva Weichmann’s Simple Stitches, and began working on one of the sweaters.  Unfortunately, the yarn I am using is not going to get anywhere near any of her gauges, so I decided to use a few elements of one sweater in particular to build one of my own creation.

I have about 1440 yards of this stuff, called “Second Time Cotton,” which can make a substantial sweater.  According to the label, on US 8, the gauge is 17 st / inch.  On US size 6, I get about 4.5.

Things I am considering in the design of this sweater is the material – cotton – and the fact that I don’t want to seam more than necessary.  3/4 length sleeves are also appealing.  I want a cardigan or jacket which can be worn by itself, or over a lightweight knit top.  The fact that cotton sweaters can look baggy and messy means I want stitches which will help maintain the sweater’s shape.  And I want something rather mindless, but still interesting to do, and something which will have a rather tailored appearance, yet still fit close to the body (and the bulges!).  And something which can be easily worked into a 1-piece, no sew, pattern.

Cold Therapy, Post-Op

Ouch!  My radial nerve is hurting.  I hope that it is only temporary, from pressure from the healing process.

One of the best things to treat the swelling from the inflammation which is part of the body’s healing process is cold.  My MD recommended the Polar Care 300, which is a portable, electric ice pack.  An igloo cooler is modified, or specially made by Breg (the manufacturer), to pump cold water through a baffled pack.  This acts like an ice pack, and helps reduce post-op swelling.  Unfortunately, the bandages on my arm were so big that the ice pack did not get employed as it should have, which is very important during the first 72 hours.  Ah, well.

My surgery was done in Valencia, and the Polar Care 300 unit is sold by DME nearby.  Unlike other cold pack set-ups, the Polar Care is not bulky, very portable, extremely quiet, and incredibly well thought out.  We paid about 189.00 at DME.  Today, I am walking around with a tube to connect me to the unit, which I need to do hourly.   Hopefully the burning of the radial nerve will diminish, cuz it hurts more than the surgery!

Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery

On 7/26 I had an arthroscopic resection of the distal clavicle of my right shoulder. Arthritis was the primary cause, with a loss of cartilage, a lot of bone spurring, and a slight tear. The tear was minimal, and could be cleaned up very easily, letting me get out of the sling and into limited use on Friday. Funny how little things, like putting on a shirt, were suddenly so difficult. But, every day, things are getting easier.

These pictures may gross you out, but given how bad my arthritis was, I’m happy to see these! The clavicle area in the shoulder had 12-13 mm (about 1/2 inch) taken out. The picture below shows you how awful it was – rough, uneven. No wonder I hurt!

To do the surgery, I had three small incisions made in my shoulder, with a camera inserted, an instrument to ablate, and one to cauterize. Other instruments were used to smooth the bone, and all sorts of things. I have a really cool DVD of it all!

This next picture shows how the bone was cut away, to finally create a smooth surface for tendons and nerves, and eventual healing of the periosteum (bone covering). The process was begun here. The silver instrument actually grinds away at the bone, and the auger-quality of it slurps up the bone as it grinds down.

This next picture shows you the bone shaved away, exposing a “new” surface, one much smoother than the old, and which will heal with a smooth covering on it. It is raw, but the healing process will cover it very nicely, like a fracture repairs itself.

Today, I really don’t feel bad at all. There is some tingling in my hand and forearm, and a general ache in the area where they took out the bone. I expect Celebrex is masking some of it, and the cold pack (a Polar Care 300 unit) is helping. I think I was probably overactive yesterday, and I didn’t sleep in my sling – but I am taking it easy today, and tomorrow – and I will definitely sleep in my sling.  I was asleep during the entire process, which took a couple of hours.  Getting me out of the anaesthesia was a different story altogether….

I feel better than I did 3 days ago, and expect I will continue to improve.  A skilled surgeon is certainly an artist, and someone to be as appreciated as talented as your favorite painter, actor, or singer!

Flight of the Albatross*

Whew!  What a relief it is to get those socks out of my life!  I’m glad I did them, but the frustration – combined with guilt – about finishing them was a burden.  I had no energy to do anything.  And now they are gone I’ve been on sort of a rampage – cleaning house – gardening – and finishing up a heap of UFOs.   I’ve got a number of berets and a pair of socks now, with loose ends woven in and toes woven shut, and a dropped stitched secured.  That makes me feel really productive, and here are the results:

A grey Meret for a birthday last February:

Two berets for a friend’s May birthday:

A Porom for myself, out of handspun grey yarn plied with an orange (sounds ghastly, but really very nice!):

A watch cap for a different February baby, to match Christmas mittens:

And socks for me – or maybe a gift for someone with the same size tootsies:

And finally, a model for a pattern which I may post, or submit to a magazine . . . . but that picture will remain a secret for now!

Ah . . .

The Four Treasures: Ink, i

Ink sticks – sumi sticks – are made in China and Japan, and most likely in Korea as well.  Bottled ink is also available, but lacks many of the qualities preferred by traditional painters and calligraphers.  Pouring ink from a bottle is not the same as being able to take the time grind a fine stick on a lovely stone, to enjoy the task, and focus one’s energy.  Most ink is also poorly made, and contains chemicals which can damage a fine brush or stone.  It is very important that if you do use bottled ink that you wash your brush thoroughly afterward, blot it, and reshape the point prior to hanging it to dry.

In this video, the artist Hirokazu Kosaka discusses ink sticks.  While he does not go into great detail about their production, he does show some interesting elements of their construction and packaging.  Opening a pawlonia wood box, he shows a “color” chart for the sumi stick.  The light and dark capabilities of the ink are demonstrated on a piece of paper inside the box lid.  He also shows the mold used to create the ink stick.  Many ink sticks are embossed with symbols or pictures, which are later colored with gold or silver or colored paint.

The quality of a sumi stick varies, from very poor (as is most sold in the U.S.) to student grade, to professional.  They also vary in size and shape, from very small to very large and colored.  There is some argument as to which is better, the Japanese or Chinese; I have both and will say that the professional quality Japanese sumi is one I prefer.  I also have some Chinese ink sticks, and their quality tends to fluctuate.  Also, the Japanese ink tends to be a bluer-black color, while the Chinese ink is more brown-black.  Both have their beauty.

According to Wikipedia:

Inksticks (Chinese: 墨 pinyin: mò; Japanese: 墨 sumi), sometimes known as sumi (Japanese transliteration), are a type of solid ink used traditionally in several East Asian cultures for calligraphy and brush painting. Inksticks are made mainly of soot and animal glue, sometimes with incense or medicinal scents added. To make ink from the inkstick, it has to be continuouly ground against an inkstone with a small quantity of water to produce a dark liquid which is then applied with an ink brush. Artists and calligraphists may vary the thickness of the resulting ink according to their preferences by reducing or increasing the intensity and time of ink grinding.m Sumi sticks after it has been used), and delivered.

Ink sticks need to age, just as wine.  A well-made sumi stick may be very old and very valuable.  Commercially, such ink sticks are available, but not readily in the U.S. or Europe.  There are various importers, but as the market is limited, they are unlikely to carry the variety available in China or Japan.

Most ink sticks sold in the U.S. are inexpensive ones, whether originating from Japan or China.  If  you cannot grind a dark ink in a moderate amount of time, if there are grainy particles which scratch your stone, you do not have an ink stick worth using as far as I am concerned.

This video from Yang Hai Ying (“yanghaiying” on YouTube) gives a few more details about the manufacture of ink sticks:

And finally, another one by Yang Hai Ying showing both bottled and stick ink:

For us ink stick lovers, it would be sheer heaven to walk into a shop filled with ones to choose!