how it relates

I know I write an awful lot about knitting for one who has a blog about being an amputee. Whatever.

What I did forget to mention in my post yesterday, is the amputation related reason for why I chose to knit this particular pattern for myself. I made this "something-to-keep-my-shoulders-warm" do-dad because it solved some amputation related logistical problems for me.

note: the pattern for the Knit Round Scarf (seems more like a capelet or poncho to me) to be worn with the reverse stockinette side out (see yesterday's photo). I've decided I like it better inside out (see above). I think the yarn looks prettier, and I also like the way it rolls when worn this way, giving it a sort of reverse stockinette neckline.

Oh yeah, how it relates, how it relates (I get all sidetracked with talk of yarn and such).....Anyhow, I spend a whole lot of time on crutches. Please note that this "poncho" is short enough to allow my crutches to clear the poncho and access my armpits. A longer poncho wont do that for me. Also, unlike a scarf, this "ponchette" (?) does not come loose, untied, or unwrapped (when I crutch around, my upper body leans forward a bit with every step, the body makes a swishy-swingy motion as I move forward, and my scarf often shakes loose). This new thing also keeps me from having long scarf ends getting tangled up between myself and the crutches. Another thing is that I often wear a backpack when I am on crutches, and this thing has clearance for the backpack straps. Another big difference between this do-dad and a scarf is that it keeps the crutching parts of my body warm between crutching around sessions (the muscles in the upper back & upper chest/scapula & sternum). Sometimes crutches are work out. Cruise the hills of San Franciso sometime, or climb some stairs with them. It's like bench pressing your whole body weight. If I then sit down in the cold, sometimes I start to cramp up.

I've only had this thing one day and I love it. All of January it's been cold and rainy here, and go figure that the day I finish this thing it is announced we will have a week of early spring with temperatures in the 70's.....but I love this thing so much that I'm throwing it on over a tank top. I've decided that when the Olympics dust settles, I'm going to knit Stephanie of Glampyre's "Boob-Tube" (the one with the lacey/open-work from the Stitch-N-Bitch Nation book), probably in a cotton. Then I'll have one I can use for spring and summer.

Knitting and being an amputee.
I know I'll continue to find a way to tie it together ;-)