08/03/2018
News of the monumental do-over of Pots 4 Dickie sampler: I had about 2.5 of the wide bands done when I discovered the rapid narrowing of the right-hand side border on the original (see June 5 post). Now there are 4 wide borders and 5 narrow altogether, and 12.5" x 12.5" of stitching, with sufficient fabric on both sides. This will be a very loooonnnnnng sampler but I do love the rhythms and motion of it. Things I've learned:
I've developed a sometimes aggressive tremor in my left leg which can make it difficult to stitch, or do much of anything at times, so am very happy about productive stitching time in spite of the cranky nerves.
I admit I get a little bored with the Dark Blue Violet monochrome so added some subtle color splashes in the alphabet band embellishments. I've seen this done in Quaker Samplers and think it is a very pretty touch.
I've noticed that sticking with it even in the midst of my cranky bones and muscles doing their newly acquired shake-rattle-roll routine has helped me to recover and/or relearn some of my stitching skills, ones that I thought I'd lost, including my sometimes threadbare ability to concentrate. Funny how some things that happen in life sometimes, ones that you may regard as very scary and bad can also bring good things, too.
Progress can be such a contrary and elusive thing sometimes. At times, the best one can hope for is a modest advance over time, and if you're very, very lucky, maybe it will even be steady. In my present state, sometimes the tremors kick in and slow everything down to a crawl, and then the job is to wait for the unwelcome motion to quiet down so I can start again where I left off.
I am thankful for every stitch, and also thankful for the stitches I've had to pull out. They've taught me to reread the chart, my stitches and the fabric with more care. They've kept me, as they always do, in a steady orbit this summer, and more so now when other things have threatened to spin out of control. As long as I can stitch or knit at least a little every day, I can manage the rest. You too? I bet YES.
