Marching into April (Update)

Well, well, well ...

Forgive me for not posting any news on Lupey Loops since January.
(Yes, January! [shock, horror] I can hardly believe it myself.)

Today's blog entry is as much to remind myself of news to share as it is to reassure you that I am, indeed, still alive!

Lost and Found

My how time flies!   

We have been living in 2018 for more than three weeks and it has taken me this long 

to get here to wish you a 

H A P P Y   N E W   Y E A R   ! 

Maker Faire Adelaide 2017 Call for Makers

It's that time of year again and in case you hadn't realised, 

Maker Faire Adelaide have put out their 'Call for Makers' 

to participate in this year's event.  

Be quick! The deadline is 14 July 2017

You can find more information here:

http://adelaide.makerfaire.com/participate/cfm/

What will I do this year?

Shall I be an exhibitor again or offer a workshop?

Mayday! Mayday! RAH, rah, rah!

"Get Well" flowers

It was a Mayday call on a Monday May Day morning that brought about the ambulance ride, through peak hour traffic, to a major city hospital.

Self-doubt & Sleeplessness on a Wednesday Morning

Morning light and the house is quiet.
 
I've been awake since at least 4 a.m. after tossing and turning for hours on the warmest April night since I don't know when. The temperature remained above 21° C (70° F) overnight which is unheard of, for this time of year.  

Easter always heralds beanie and scarf weather for me–why are we getting summer nights in autumn?

Blue Skies and Blue Satin

Blue like the sky,
Pretty in the breeze.

My baby blanket has been at a standstill.
The hold-up? Fabric to line the reverse side.

How hard do you think it could be to find some basic satin in pastel baby colours?

Simple Crocheted Finger Puppets & Lupey Long-distance Gifts

Once upon a time, there were two little children, a girl and a boy. The girl was 2 years of age and her brother was almost 6 months old.

These darling children are very much loved by a large family with lots and lots of cousins–an ample supply of playmates.

The children have regular contact with most of their cousins but there are some that live more than 1000 kilometres away! (That's me and my family.)




Christmas and birthdays present a challenge when choosing 'long-distance' gifts. I'm here to share my pattern for crocheted finger puppets and to explain how they were the perfect choice for two young children and their cousins at Christmas (2016).

Lupey Loops at Maker Faire Adelaide 2016

The official 'Maker Faire ADL' postcard.

It's been almost a month since
Maker Faire Adelaide and you have been patiently waiting for news.

The official word is that Maker Faire Adelaide (#mfADL) is now the largest in the southern hemisphere!

No wonder it has taken me so long to recover!
It  was a fun and fantastic day.

At last, I am up and about again, ready to tell you about my very first crochet exhibition:

There's so much to tell, from the practicalities of participating in a large event while managing chronic illness, to setting up the exhibit, meeting people and having as much fun as possible.  This will probably take more than one blog entry so be prepared and consider yourself warned!

To Help or Not To Help (Part 3): I Can Do It Myself!

People are often confused when I say "No, thank you" to their genuine offers of assistance.  While outwardly I might appear to struggle physically with a task, inwardly there are invisible benefits when I do things myself.

Footy Finals & Fatigue 2016

Crows v. Kangaroos tomorrow night!
Brodie Smith of the Crows flies over
Andrew Swallow of the Kangaroos
during 2015.
(Source: AFL Media)

This football* season has been great for the Adelaide 'Crows' Football Club. 

The team even made it to the second spot on the Premiership ladder during the year!

This means one thing: finals!

Out of the Crochet Comfort Zone

I am a believer that the most learning and personal growth happens when one is 'outside the comfort zone' and this year, I've been tempted to go there.

Crochet to Extend Life

Crochet is not only a fun creative activity, but also a practical skill that can save you money.

If you are interested in recycling and re-using, making do and mending, to both save money and care for the environment, you will be pleased to discover that crochet can add years of extra usefulness to household items.

The 'R-word'

The 'R-word'.
 

Don't even think about it!

(It's dangerous.)

Getting My Head Around … Results!

It's not 'just me'.
These autoimmune diseases are difficult to fathom for my doctors too.

Getting My Head Around It

"You've got to get your head around this, Jodie."

These are the words of my General Practitioner (GP) as we review my medical status.

I fear the positive effects of a recent iron infusion have been totally undone by the stress of forced household upheaval.

Hooks, Needles & Nurses!

A day in hospital need not be boring, especially with hooks and needles in tow!

Lots Going On! (Update)

Lupey Loops blog posts have been irregular lately because it has been such a busy time in many areas of my life: health, family, community, crochet and the blogosphere!

This post is about sharing all the news!

A Week in WIPs

A summary of my week in crochet.

My blog entries have been irregular lately due to 

'hatches, dispatches and bad health patches'! 

Thank you for your patience with the pause between posts.

Home from Hospital

Smokey bunny on the bed.

Home again…ah! Nothing like the feel of one’s own bed! 

Thank you so much for your support and good wishes through your comments. There were lots of useful suggestions about which crochet project to tackle and I will reveal my choice later in this post.

I was in hospital for three days and two nights and survived to tell the tale.  

New MCTD Resource Page

MCTD stands for Mixed Connective Tissue Disease.

It is an "overlap" of various autoimmune conditions. I compare it to a smorgasbord where the offerings include Lupus (SLE), Scleroderma, Sjögren's Syndrome, Raynaud's Phenomenon, Addison's Disease, Vasculitis and others.