hello pineapples

Surprise! I'm a semi-finalist!

I had wanted to enter the Mochimochi photo contest and had grand plans to do so. Alas, for various reasons, my grand plans had to be put aside, the time wasn't there to stage an awesome photo. But I had taken this photo of my stackable cat at the vet:



I added it to the Mochimochi flickr pool and went about my business. I've been a bit behind in reading blogs lately, so when I clicked on Mochimochi in google reader, I was stunned! to see that I was a semi-finalist. In fact, I'm so surprised that I've been overusing exclamation marks left and right.

I really hadn't thought my little guy would even rank, but, hooray me! I'm a semi-finalist! (my reaction was, and is still,: "what the eff? I'm a semi-finalist? seriously? awesome!"). (my original plan was to ask the vet to post, but I quickly saw that he was too busy with real cats to hang out with knitted cats).

I knit this stackable cat while my cat Alistair was in quarantine at the vet. It was knit to look sort of like Alistair. Here's a shot of Al for comparison:



If Alistair were square and made of yarn, I think he'd sort of look like the stackable cat. But unlike Alistair, knitted cat was much easier to take to the vet. Check out Alistair in his carrier (going home, away from the vet...you'd think that would make him happy):



not so happy kitty.

Anyway, if you've got a minute, you should go vote for my stackable cat. Because votes would be awesome (even if I'm not the best one there).

Posted byHello Pineapples! on Thursday, August 07, 2008 2 comments  

filed under: cats, contests, knit, mochimochi, plush

Craft Related Injuries

I think I have carpal tunnel syndrome.

While I am quick to assume the worst and go all hypochondriac by diagnosing myself on the internet, the truth is, I have quite a few symptoms. Mainly, my wrists hurt like hell and I get a tingling in my hands.



The carpal tunnel, while not directly caused by crafting, has been a total (pardon the pun) pain to deal with.

This is a HUGE problem seeing as just about everything I do involves using my wrists. At this point, my thesis is all typing and writing. When I've got free time, I'm usually writing by hand, using the mouse to arse around on the internet (facebook and google reader may be my downfall), or embroidering/sewing/knitting/crocheting: all things that require similar repetitive motions by my hands and wrists. And until now, all done without much thought to ergonomics (my bad, but my desk and chair really don't understand ergonomics). For over a week I've been forced to avoid such things as it meant severe pain. The only thing I've been able to do is read or watch TV. It's getting better, but it still hurts a bit as I type this. So frustrating.

But I may have a solution. At the very least, I have something that might make my wrists hurt less. I was reading an old issue of Knit.1 (the winter 06-07 issue) that I picked up at the Library and found the Lion Brand Stress Relief Gloves.



I think I need to buy a pair. Bonus: they're only $16 (hooray affordable!). Although, I'd probably consider getting them if they had cost more. Anything that promises to ease the pain, even just a little bit, is okay in my books. Because I have crafts to do and a thesis to write!

xoxo.
Pineapples

(This was a surprisingly painful entry to write, and not just because of my wrists. For some reason, my brain is refusing to function quite right and I'm struggling to put together a couple of coherent sentences. I think I need to go to bed early).

Posted byHello Pineapples! on Wednesday, August 06, 2008 2 comments  

filed under: craft related injuries, good ideas