Foot recovery nearly there

One of the pleasant surprises from last month is that I have a good shot at 100 % recovery from the break in my foot. That was a surprise because I have had to settle for a lot less in recovery for my shoulders/arms/hands. On a good day it’s about 80%, on a bad day about 50%. ‘nough said. It has stopped me from committing to a regular job playing, but not playing on my own. I really think this has helped in my recovery. You see, organists have overdeveloped ankles and calves. Our thighs are generally toned and even though we sit a lot, our hips seem to be stronger and in better condition than many folk. So, getting muscles strength back after not walking for 7 weeks has been a bit easier. Not less painful; there’s only way to build muscle. I seemed to start with a bit of an advantage. So, off to work on those pedals.

me, bonkers??? Why, yes!!

Jane E posed a question in a post: “why can’t I regulate myself? Why do I start a thing and HAVE to finish it?”

I like her answer: “because I’m bonkers!”

Well, I can’t claim to be bonkers in the same way, as I certainly have my share of unfinished projects, but I do feel like I don’t “regulate” myself well. I’ve taken to keeping track of how much time I spend doing what. It helps me to make a better to-do list. I’m more reasonable in how much I can accomplish and better at seeing what is most important. If that’s bonkers, I’ll gladly wear that label.

Now off to finish that project.

Connecting rings around Round 1

Here’s what Round 1 looks like in my final tat. Things are not blocked yet. I’ve decided not to block or get the thread damp until I’m done handling it. I’m trying to be very, very careful not to get any oils or dirt on it.

Round 1 with connecting rings

I’m pleased with the way it has come out so far. We’ll see what connecting all the Round 2 motifs looks like. It’s afternoon right now; the hot weather is breaking, but the humidity is up. So, I think I’ll read a book instead of risk getting the thread messy.

Sacred Threads Canvas done

With the summer heat, I’ve not been tatting much in the afternoons. So, I’ve chosen to spend more time stitching my chair canvas for Sacred Threads. In fact, the canvas is finished! Whew!!!!!

Now, it’s off to the upholsterers. Pictures will be posted after it gets back.

In case you’re wondering why the long silence on the blog, it’s been priorities. I am walking now. Exercises take up several hours a day. It’s uncomfortable to sit at a desk for long, and my laptop battery was showing its age. Plus, I had all the stuff we brought back from my Mom’s house to go through and find a place for in our house.

All that combined left little time for scanning and writing and posting. But, I should be back to normal now. All right, what passes for normal with me, hehehe

Connecting parts

Well, best laid plans…..

 

I have learned the past few months that my physical chores must take precedence. So, other activities fell off the calendar when the number of exercises increased. That’s good news. I’ve also learned that time is the most important facet of this rehabilitation. It takes time for tissue to heal, bone to grow, muscles to strengthen, and swelling to decrease. I don’t live on a Star Trek set. There are no Sonic Screwdrivers to point at my foot. And we all know what happens when you pray for patience…….

 

The good news is that I should be able to make more progress on the Saint Saens. I’ll be shifting my tatting time back to when it is cooler in the morning. So, off to wash my hands, wind some size 80 thread and figure out the circumference needed for the split ring connector pattern.

Section A motif developed

Each of the development sections is repeated. I chose to ignore slight differences in the repeats. I changed my mind about the next section after I finished a trial tat version. It just didn’t represent the repeat section well at all. So, after letting it sit for a bit, I came up with this:

Section A motif

 

Now, a bit about the melody used in this section. It is similar to themes used in previous movements of the symphony. You may even recognize a bit of Dies Irae. This chant used in services after death fascinated Saint-Saens. Like many of his time and place, what came after death was intriguing. Sound familiar? And we wonder where entertainment gets their ideas???

Because the organ is used in these 2 sections for accent, I limited the use of green beads to the center of the motif. It is an organ concerto after all. And that’s what I always focus on when I listen to this. I am an organist through and through!

Why the pink beads on only 2 of the rings? Well, the strings have the theme for only half of the section. Their part sets up the next few sections nicely; more about the end of the movement later. I’ll be working my way through connecting all these separate parts. Again, I let the music structure drive the design. All I’ll say for now is I felt compelled to use a thinner thread and repetition of the same stitch count.

Section F

Remember the turn? The little 3 note ornament that makes up the fugue theme?

Remember the key? After the delicious melody in the major key, we’re back to c minor.

Remember the rhythm? The 3 notes: da, da, dum?

Well, this all returns in the next section I named Section F.

The sense of urgency returns in this section. It propels us into a repeat of the melody from a previous section with a hint of brass reminding us of the Intro. And you thought this was just a bridge section!

So, how to represent this in DS? Well, again, I ignored the role of the brass. I didn’t work in any indication of the change of key center. But, I did try to work in the use of 3 notes. I did try to work in the dialogue Saint-Saens set up. The best way I could think of was to use the pearl tatting in the chains. I did try to work in the Intro melody and the increase in tension. I decided to use sets of split rings.

 This motif actually took the longest to complete. Maybe it was all those ends I had to hide……

Tomorrow, I look at a the final section in the development.