handmade by stefanie

In our obsessive zeal to knit all the things, many of us knitters (or crocheters, or weavers!) may be forgoing self-care in favor of more crafting time. It's tempting, but when you get to the point that you absolutely cannot do the thing you love because it's so painful, it's the worst! Believe me, I know....I've been knitting for over 10 years, and there have been times when aches and pains have kept me away from my yarn and needles for days at a time. Getting back to a place where you can knit pain-free is a process, and it requires more than just one quick fix. But the impact that CBD has made in my pain management routine has been huge - it's a real game changer. So today I want to share a little bit about how and why I use CBD, with the hope that this helps someone else going through similar issues. First, a common sense warning: always know what you're taking and do your own research. If you have serious medical conditions or take RX meds, ask your doc...

It seems like I've worked through the worst of the arm issues. I'm not 100%, but I am much improved and able to knit a little more than before, thanks mostly to a very stylish compression sleeve I've been wearing on my forearm. It's insane to think that just one little piece of fabric could make such a difference, but ever since I gave it a try, I haven't had to ice my arm AT ALL. I'm still stretching and taking frequent breaks, but I can honestly credit the compression sleeve with the most meaningful contribution. Go figure! So now I find myself with a LOT of WIPs on the needles - way more than I am usually comfortable with! If I include the cozy memories blanket, the grand total is 8...and I usually like to limit myself to 3 or 4 max as a general rule. Any more than that and I start to feel weirdly stressed about how many WIPs I have languishing, so I am trying to stay focused and get at least a few projects off the needles before I head to TNNA in a few wee...

As I work through some issues that have been preventing me from knitting recently, I realized that sharing some of what's worked for me might be helpful to others. I think we've all had this issue at one point or another - and when all you want to do is knit, self care can be the one thing that you let slip (I assume I'm not the only one here....wouldn't we ALL rather be knitting?!). Over the 10+ years I've knitted, I have occasionally experienced hand, wrist or arm pain - almost always in my left arm, despite the fact that I'm right handed...or perhaps that's the cause?! At any rate, I have learned to manage said pain pretty effectively over the years, but recently I had a huge flare-up that I think was brought on by two factors: extended working hours typing at my laptop and knitting ALL THE SOCKS. For whatever reason, my left arm and hand grip the daylights out of a sock project. I had moved away from knitting socks as my primary project in the past...

Last night at midnight EST (which is 11pm my time), I started spinning some alpaca that's been in my fiber stash for a few years now. It only took an hour to fill up my first bobbin - and thus, Spinzilla has commenced! Natural black Alpaca single - so hard to photograph! Tomorrow I plan on finishing this alpaca and then starting on one of the many pretty handpainted rovings I've earmarked for this event; I believe I've neglected to mention two very recent acquisitions from last week when I succumbed to Cloudlover's special Spinzilla deal for 15% off orders. I couldn't resist this dyed Polwarth in special colors inspired by The Nightmare Before Christmas. Since they're local, I also got my fiber super-fast - as in, the very next day! Cloudlover  Dyed Polwarth Roving in Sandy Claws & Zero. I'm quite excited to be the team captain for Team Louet during this first-ever event celebrating Spinning and Weaving Week . We have a fantastic team fill...