Two Down & I'm Good to Go

I had the 2nd cataract surgery Monday, and except for the fact that they were running way behind, causing my blood presure to go sky high and needing to be medicated for it (or they wouldn't do the surgery) it went well. And I'm seeing faster results than with the first eye. Same brilliant colors, but now I can see them with both eyes; and same ability to read, knit and crochet, use the computer, and drive without glasses. I'll see the doctor in 2 weeks, to check whether or not I will need any glasses at all, or if I can just go as is.


The only drawback is still having to put drops in both eyes anywhere from 1 to 4 times daily for the next 4 weeks. Small price to pay for the greatly improved eyesight. I'll have to see how that translates when I start working glass again. The work on the glass studio is moving along nicely, and next week an old colleague of mine will come by to help us figure out the fuel and ventilation requirements. I am so looking forward to getting back to the torch. (I'm sure I've already said that, but it's true.)

In the meantime, I've been making progress on a number of projects:

The Pink, Blue, and Purple Layer Cake Vest 

also known as the 1000 Branches Vest, as it's a pared down version of the 1000 Branches Kimono 

The Night Sky Vest

which is a vest crocheted side to side, using multifibers and alternating stitches ala Jane Thornley. 

It's my own design, and presenting a challenge to match up the front sides; but I'm getting there. 

The Quick & Easy (also known as Quick & Dirty) Shawl

and lastly, I've started working on 
Hyundai, Here I Come, 

a shawl to wear in my husband's car to ward off the AC.

So, as you see, I've been, and am, keeping busy waiting for my glass studio. When it's ready, I'll probably suffer Fiber Withdrawal symptoms, but things could be worse.

One Down and One To Go (Cataract Surgeries that is)

It's been 3 days and many changes since my cataract surgery. The first noticeable change showed up on my way to Knit Night on Thursday. I kept thinking my driving glasses were dirty and needed cleaning, but cleaning didn't help. I then realized that I could see better without my glasses than with.

One of the signs of cataracts is often the loss of color perception, and after surgery colors are more vivid. I figured that doesn't apply to me, because I already see colors very vividly. NOT! By Friday morning, I started noticing that colors seemed so much brighter than usual; if I closed my right eye (the one in which I'd had the surgery) colors looked as usual. If I closed the left eye, WOW. And even with both eyes open, the brightness remained. 

Surprisingly, the third change is that I'm able to read, knit, and work on my computer mostly without reading glasses. This is surprising because often, even though the distance vision improves, you still need reading glasses. I imagine that there will still be instances where I will need some help reading small or faint print, but for now, I'm one happy camper. We'll have to see how my vision is when working at the torch.


The surgery on my left eye is scheduled for a week from Monday. I will be glad to have that over, too.

A New Chapter Begins

As I have mentioned, and alluded to in my blog's subtitle, I also work in glass. But when we moved permanently to Tucson, I had no glass studio, and so have been unable to do my thing at the torch for a couple of years. But that is about to change. We are at present setting up a workspace; and I am so looking forward to being able to create Artglass beads again, as well as small sculptures and vessels, not to mention pieces for shawl pins and closures.

In that vein, I needed some sort of closure for my 1000 Branches Kimono, and found the perfect Butterfly among my previously made beads:

To ensure that I'm at my best when at the torch, as well as all my other creative pursuits, I'm having cataract surgery on my right eye Wednesday, to be followed shortly by the left eye. The challenge now will be how to balance Glass and Fiber.

Translating Knitting Designs into Crochet

I've been wanting to translate some of my favorite knitting projects to crochet, mainly Feather & Fan, and some of Jane Thornley's. One project combines both: the Baked Squash Scarf. I made a few of them last Holiday Season, and I liked them a lot; but I really wanted to try my hand at crocheting one. This is the result:

I'm really quite happy with how it turned out, and I'm working on another one, as well as doing a vest simulating some of her stitch patterns. I'll post photos as they progress.

I WON !

Those of you who follow TECHknitter's terrific blog already know that I won the prize she offered in a recent poll of her readers. She asked for suggestions of subjects they would like covered in future posts, with the added incentive of a prize to one lucky reader. The winner was chosen by random drawing, and I was notified Monday that I had won! The prize is a $20 Gift Certificate to a LYS (Tucson Yarn Co.) of my choice, AND a set of Addi Clicks interchangeable needles! Today is Wednesday, and I've received both already. How great is that? 

If you're not already a reader of  TECHknitting, I urge you to check it out. This blog should be your first avenue for How-To information on all aspects of knitting. It's well written, and includes great drawings illustrating the technique or other issue being addressed.