thanks and yes, a sock!

First of all, I have been touched and I am thankful for the kind comments and pieces of advice I received after my last post. Yes, I will organise my Christmas break around long, decadent hot chocolate bubbling baths, sipping gluwine. That's totally 'up my alley' :) But - can one actually knit while soaking ? Big question.

Also, I feel I need to say a bit more. Since two years, I suffer from Degenerative Vitreous Syndrom - sometimes referred to as 'Eye floaters', a misleading term if ever one was. Average eye floaters, we almost all have them, I had them when I was 16 and it was no big deal. But when for some mysterious reason your vitreous humour embarks on a degenerative process, it's another story entirely. Strands, spots, cobwebs, clouds, bluriness, flies, shadows of all sorts start to invade your vision, swirling around at the tiniest movement of the eye -- that is to say constantly -- so that the mere business of seeing becomes a permanent struggle against the crap. Like living in a dirty pool, without the maintenance team ever coming to clear it up. And only worsening over time.

But here comes the best part : there is no interest for this condition in the medical community, no way for the ophtalmologists to assess the situation, no cure, not the slightest sign of research for a cure, nothing. All you have to do is sit there, wondering how worse it has gotten since last month and how worse it will be next, and wait until you declare yourself officially impaired so that you can just as well travel half the world to find a retinal surgeon who will poke you in the eye with three canulas and suck away nearly all of its original material (slllllllllrrrrrrrrp). Yeah, creepy. On the day the surgeon hits your eyeball you'd better be in a f****** good karmic condition, otherwise you're screwed. And since I only have one good eye... well, you've got the picture. Not something you want to consider light-heartedly.

So, that's it. No sunny tomorrows for me. I'm stuck with the enemy.

Now, I know perfectly well that there are brave souls out there coping with terrible illnesses, laughing in the face of MS and climbing up mountains in wheelchairs. Honestly, I am not the one to show that much courage. I am the depressive type and never was very good at life to begin with, so this is a bit of the drop too much. Anyway, that's how I feel about it now.

To wrap the topic up, if ever you know someone afflicted with a debilitating vitreous condition and feeling strangely misunderstood and lonely, I'll put a handful of useful links at the bottom of the post. Just to give the misery some company (in some cases, that's better than nothing). Also, it's the place to discuss surgeons, procedures and risks, for the ones who may need it sometime.

On the knitting front

But darn it, as long as I can I'll be there with my small gauges and intricate patterns! And just for evidence this is my current project on 0's, ta-daam :

Yes, Baroque. Oh my this is such a beautiful design. Well done, lady!

So far so good, I am exceptionally pleased with these ones. As per usual I am not really following the directions, since
a) I work the socks toe-up and
b) it's probably just me, but I always find the directions for socks on Knitty a bit too verbose and cumbersome to my taste (why on earth should I put this purl stitch that belongs to the back on the front ?!?).
That's not a problem really, since with a good chart and a rough comprehension of the repartition of stitches here and there, one can manage (and have the privilege to rip the heel two or three times for additional tweaking :)

I have big ambitions for these socks, up to the circumference of my calves. I want the socks as high as possible, what will imply an impossible rate of increases somewhere. I'm not there yet but I'm sure this is totally doable. And who cares some more frogging ? On that front, I am fearless.

Happy hot bubbling chocolate everyone !

For the eye floaters sufferers :
Yuku support discussion board (EN)
Vitreous Floaters Yahoo Group (EN)
Forum corps flottants (FR)
Asso Miodesopsie (IT)
An online petition for research - lingering since 2003

Comments

[Noémie]

Eh bien... c'est courageux de tricoter des choses aussi fines et compliquées en ayant les troubles visuels que tu décris! Accroche-toi! Cette chaussette est absolument superbe!
Et bonne année à toi, tous mes voeux de bonheur, de réussite... et de santé (oui, faut y croire!)

(je pense que l'équivalent d'une montagne en fauteuil roulant doit-être un truc à torsades ou à jours en aiguilles nº2 et en laine à chaussettes, quand on n'y voit pas très bien!)

[Domi]

elles sont magnifique, j'adore le choix de laine que tu as faite

[flopeanut]

Rho c'est terrible!, Un coup en anglais, un coup en français, je ne savais plus chez qui j'étais. Mais en français ou en anglais, je me sens bien chez toi! Hold on!

[spiritknit]

En lisant ton commentaire sur le blog de Bulle au sujet de ses chaussettes morte d'usure j'ai vraiment rigoler sans savoir qui était vraiment la "Sophie" qui signait le commentaire. En cliquant sur le lien et voyant ton blog...Là enfin, j'ai tout compris.

J'aurai du savoir qu il n y a que toi pour écrire de la sorte. C'est a crever de rire. Toujours un plaisir de lire tes nouveaux posts.

Bravo pour tes Baroque socks. Aussi complexe que les Bayerische de Jang ou le Shedir hat. Mais comme tu aimes les défis...c'était de la tarte pour toi.

[Luisa]

:-***

A part ça, de belles chaussettes que je n'aurais jamais le courage de tricoter!