The office where I spend twenty hours a week is in an alternate universe. I know this because the universe where I actually live doesn’t have cubicles, fluorescent lights, ugly carpeting, or Microsoft. My personal universe also has the same climate as the rest of the Bay Area. My office universe, on the other hand, is always freezing, even when it’s sunny and warm outside. Fortunately, items from the regular universe are able to exist in my office universe, so I when I came into work on Monday I was able to bring these:
These are a modified Cigar from a back issue of Knitty. They’re just the thing for the arctic atmosphere at my office; I can type, click my mouse, and flick people off answer the phone, all while keeping my hands nice and toasty warm. I didn’t knit them, of course. My shoulder-imposed moratorium on knitting is still in effect, so when Z asked me if there was anything I’d like her to knit for me, I asked for these gloves.
That moratorium is wearing on me, though. Other than thumb-twiddling, I don’t really have any other activities that I can do while listening to NPR or chatting with Z. That sweater that I started two weeks ago is calling to me from its canvas bag next to the couch; the latest round of wifely socks, half-finished, glare at me with reproach; even the Bay Area Mass Transit System is giving me grief:
But enough whining! For the next two weeks I’ll be away at the Wyoming Young Writers Camp where I’ll be too busy teaching creative writing to teenagers to worry about knitting. By the time I get back, I’ll be ready to pick up the needles again. Right? Right?
9 Comments
I show up at work during the summer months in my kicky skirt and shell and promptly unpack my hat, cardigan, and (sometimes) a scarf from my bag. Gotta gets me a pair of fingerless gloves. And a nose-warmer.
My condolences on the continued moratorium. Life is unfair.
Have fun in WY! It’s beautiful out there this time of year and the locals should provide some good writing fodder.
Tell Z that she did a beautiful job on those gloves. What a great idea!
So sorry that you still can’t knit. Warmest wishes that you will be able to pick up those needles soon.
I wonder, if you are doing any rehabilitative exercises for your shoulder ?
It’s really been going on for a long time for you not getting any better.
Last year on August 19th someone in the gym bumped into me and I dropped an 8 kilo dumb bell. Instead of just stepping aside and letting it fall, I instinctively grabbed it. in mid-flight and almost ripped my rotator cuff out. Since it happened at the gym, they took me to the gymMD, a sports doctor…..he put me on daily rotator cuff exercises after two weeks….and explained that ALL joint injuries need active rehabilitation ,no matter if they are from trauma, over use ( which I think includes repetitive use like in knitting ) and degeneration ( like from Arthritis)…..just letting things rest, will not allow the bones, joint or tendons& ligaments to aquire their previous strength ( I think the guy knows what he is talking about….he is right now in Germany as the physician with the Mexicn Football team, which is getting their ass whooped this very moment by Portugal )
I have been given 100% green light on March 15th ( it took a bit longer to heal , since when you are staring 60 in the face the body recovers slowly ) and since about three weeks I am back to my normal load in weight lifting and am back to running ( which strangely….or actually not so strange, since one movees one’s shoulder when running ) which was off limits for several month…..
Before the accident I would get tired in my hands from knitting after about three hours…last Sunday I knit for almost 6six hours with just a brake. to answer the phone…..I think I am actually stronger then before the accident…….
Take good care of yourself….and maybe check out some injury specific exercises…
Angelika
Mexico City
PS: I passed a kidney stone the morning after my wedding…while I am no longer married, I still have that stone…..in a tiny knitted bag…..
so sorry to hear that your shoulder is still acting up! I knwo how it is, elbow issues. i made a pair of cigar gloves (same modification, same color too) last xmas for my guy who is slave to a keyboard. everyone who does lots of keyboarding should have a pair of these!
hope you are up and knitting agian soon. see you at article pract!
I said to my husband last night – I want to knit mittens. Now I’m modifying that to fingerless gloves, because I too work in the Arctic Realm. When I leave in the afternoon, I turn the air conditioning off in my car for at least twenty minutes so I can thaw out. Perhaps I’ll create toeless socks so I can continue wearing sandals this summer…
Sorry to hear about the moratorium. It’s tough when we can’t do our passion. Say hi to Z from Doug & me. B.
Angelika,
I’m not doing any rehabilitative exercises at the moment; not because I don’t want to, but because my doctor’s office messed up the request for physical therapy that they were supposed to submit to my insurance company. I did, however, get a letter from my doctor’s office that I do not, in fact, have cervical cancer. I feel for that poor woman who was waiting for her test results, only to find out that she’s all set to get physical therapy for her shoulder.
Thanks for the good thoughts, everyone. I’m sure I’ll be back on the needles soon.
I just stumbled across your site and have to tell a friend about your fingerless gloves! She will love them! I’m sorry to hear about your shoulder but am happy to know that you don’t have cervical cancer 🙂
I made the Cigar gloves from Knitty for a friend who is a rural mail lady. They’re perfect since she can stay warm and still handle slippery letters while on the route. I didn’t think about making them hobo gloves for another friend who is always cold in the office. Thanks for the idea. Now I know what she’s getting for Christmas this year.