A dash for freedom

Many thanks for the crocheting advice following last weeks blog. I've decided to ask the Birthday Bunny for one or two hooks for now then progress (maybe with Santa's help.....) to a crocheting set later.

We were back down in London on Tuesday for my hip op. The Professor explained that there were two options to fix the problem: the easy option which would only require a day or two in hospital or the hard option with a minimum stay of eight days. Yikes !!!!!

Chester and Frank keeping me company while I wait for my op

All of us, the Prof included, hoped it would be the easy option. However he wouldn't know until he opened me up which one it would be.

I was first on the Prof's evening theatre list (7pm....) so had plenty to keep me occupied until my op.

To everyone’s relief the Prof was able to perform the easy option which meant that my hip was now much more stable than before. So on Wednesday Sarah, one of the physios, got me up walking – actual walking !!!! Having not been able to put any weight on my leg for four years it was an amazing feeling.

Everything was going great for me to leave hospital on Thursday. Then three hours before we were due to catch our train my wound started to bleed quite heavily. Agnes, my nurse, called the Prof who came immediately. It was now 50/50 whether I would be able to go home that day.

The Prof asked what time our train was. 1.30pm, but as we required assistance getting on the train, we had to be at Kings Cross twenty five minutes before hand.

He had to dash into theatre so instructed Agnes to put a pressure dressing on my hip. He would then come back to see me around the time we would be due to leave to say either yes or no.

True to his word, still in full theatre scrubs, he came back at 12.45pm and checked the wound again. He would discharge me on one condition. I had to let my body heal slowly so had to promise to take it extremely easy at all times. His departing words were he did not want to see me on the ward again.....

So, if I thought the past six weeks were tough not doing anything, in the words of Al Jolson, 'you ain't seen nothing yet' !!!!

Have a great week.

Gertie xx

PS why not pop over to Handmade Monday to see what other fellow craft bloggers have been up to.

Crocheting

With my birthday coming up in a months time Mr Gertie asked what the Birthday Bunny could get me.

There isn't really much I'd like this year as I'm not in much of a birthday mood what with everything going on hip-wise (I'm a bit anxious about going back into hospital on Tuesday).

I would love some new clothes but shopping isn't very practical at the moment so Mr Gertie's kindly going to put some money aside for later.

What I have said I wouldn't mind is some crochet hooks as I'd like to learn how to crochet more than just granny squares.

Would it be best to buy the hooks individually or in a set? I've seen lots of sets but they vary tremendously in price. 

What wool will I need to use? Ordinary knitting wool (double knit/4 ply etc) or is there special crocheting wool.

Is there anything else a beginner will need? Any help will be gratefully received !!!

Have a great week.

Gertie xx

PS why not pop over to Handmade Monday to see what other fellow craft bloggers have been up to.

Two steps forward, one step back

I had planned on giving you a tour of my sewing room this week.

As it's been seven weeks since my hip op I was hoping once I'd seen the Prof on Friday he would give me the all clear for my room to be no longer be out of bounds.

Unfortunately there has been an unforeseen turn of events. I've dislocated my hip !!!!!

According to the Prof it's probably been like this for about three weeks. Normally when it pops out the patient instantly knows as the leg goes very limp and they are in excruciating pain.

In my case I had no pain at all and having had a limp leg for four years I didn't notice anything untoward.

Given that bending, twisting, stretching too far are the major causes of hip dislocation I felt so ashamed as I thought it was my fault. I had tried to be good, I really had!!!! The Prof, however, reassured me that I hadn't done anything wrong. According to the x-rays it had just slipped out by itself.

To pop it back into place it does mean though another short stay in hospital. Had he not 'promised to take the children on holiday' he would have done it yesterday so I'm back at the King Edward on 13th.

The Prof is hopeful I'll only be in a day or two, then it'll be back to the no stretching, etc all over again !!!!!

Have a great week.

Gertie xx

PS why not pop over to Handmade Monday to see what other fellow craft bloggers have been up to.

Comfort teddies

My mam used to love making things for charity: Quilts for families made homeless and heart shaped pillows for ladies diagnosed with breast cancer (the pillows tuck underneath the arm to give pain relief) were two of her favourites.

One of her quilting friends mentioned that she had started knitting little comfort teddies for children suffering from trauma. As the charity was in need of more teddies my mam dusted off her knitting needles and set to work.

When my mam died in March she left some quilts and teddies that needed completing. So instead of melting from hand sewing one of her quilts I decided this week to do something a little cooler. I finished knitting the teddies.

There's enough wool left to make a couple more so they may be getting some new friends soon.

Have a great week.

Gertie xx

PS why not pop over to Handmade Monday to see what other fellow craft bloggers have been up to.

Feeling hot, hot, hot !!!

If it hadn't been hot enough last week. Who had the bright idea to have a quilt on their lap and start hand stitching it?

The answer. Me !!!!!!

Have a great week.

Gertie xx

PS why not pop over to Handmade Monday to see what other fellow craft bloggers have been up to.

A lovely Wizz out

Seeing as it was a beautiful day yesterday Mr Gertie suggested we took a stroll in Wizzy* down to the seafront. I jumped (figuratively, not actually....) at the chance as ever since I became hipless four years ago, I've been pretty much housebound.  

There are two beaches here in Sunderland, Roker and Seaburn. During the Victorian times Roker was a huge tourist destination whilst Seaburn had yet to be developed so was just beach and fields. Today Seaburn is the more popular of the two.

Both beaches are next to each other and as we live pretty much in the middle it's easy to get to either of them.Yesterday we decided to give Roker a visit.

One of the nicest ways to get there is by going through Roker Park. It's set in over 35 acres and has everything from tennis courts, bowling greens, a miniature railway to a two acre boating lake.

The end of the park brings you straight to the sea front.....

where they even have their very own version of Baywatch.....

Last week was the first time I'd been left 'home alone' following my hip op as Mr Gertie went back to work. I'm pleased to say that everything well and I remembered to behave myself and do as I was told (so unlike me !!!!!!).

To keep myself myself amused on the sewing front I made a start on a little boy's quilt that my Mam had been planning to hand quilt. Sadly there's not much to show you at the moment.

Why not though pop over to Wendy's blog Handmade Monday to see what other crafters have been up to.

Have a great week.

Gertie xx

* For those of you who don't know Wizzy is the name of my wheelchair.

Worth the wait

I'm a huge Wimbledon fan and have been since I was child. I was one of those whose kids who would hit a ball against a wall and pretend I was competing in the Women's final on Centre Court. Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova would try their best but would never take the title.

During Wimbledon fortnight normal life would be put on hold. Everything had to be done before the TV coverage started at 11.30am and meals would always be quick and easy so not to miss too much of the action stuck in the kitchen.

Shortly after I came home from London I decided to make a thank you card for the staff at the King Edward hospital. Whilst I could have simply bought a card I thought it would mean more if I made it myself (somehow I don't think they would get many handmade cards.....).

Under the supervision of Mr Gertie I went into my workroom and gathered together everything I needed to make the cross stitch card.

Normally a card like this wouldn't take very long to do. However because of the tennis it took me the whole two weeks !!!! I'd like to think it was worth the wait (and worth the wait for a British winner. Well done Andy).

Have a great week.

Gertie xx

PS why not pop over to Handmade Monday to see what other fellow craft bloggers have been up to.