And no, I didn't trip and fall with knitting needles. It's much, much dumber and more pathetic than that, and I blame it on the Koigu.
After straining my entire body in a wild round of house and closet cleaning this weekend, I spent a good chunk of Sunday afternoon on the couch knitting. I decided it was time to make progress on the Koigu second sock languishing on two circulars. Koigu is knitters' heroin - you just sit and knit and knit and knit, and watch the pretty colors and feel really, really good, oh, so good. You lose track of the time, it's so good. And I did. I sat on the couch for hours, knitting and knitting and watching Night Court reruns on TVLand. And my left leg was extended, foot on the coffee table. For hours, barely moving, because Koigu is sooo good. And that night, my left knee was all wobbly and going out from under me and twanging like a sonofabitch. Because yes, Dear Readers, apparently I hyperextended my bad knee by SITTING and KNITTING too long, and I didn't feel a thing at the time. This middle age shit just ain't funny. I pride myself on not being in bad shape - I exercise, I stretch, I lift real weights, I work my legs, (cautiously) and here I am, gimping around with a sore knee because I SAT too long. I guess I should have warmed up with an hour on the treadmill before picking up the Koigu.
But the Koigu sock is almost done, and I have gotten over my initial dislike of socks on two circs. I don't think I'd ever adopt it as my only and bestest sock technique, but it does work, and about halfway through the second sock, as the ligaments in my left leg were losing touch with the knee they were there to support, I actually started liking the two circs thing. Just use Koigu in moderation. It's dangerous stuff (she says as she gimps to work all week in running shoes because heels are just not happening for a while.)
If you'd told me this could happen I never would have believed it. I have injured my increasingly wobbly and whiny knees in dumb ways through the years, but this is a new and pathetic low. Pictures of the socks that done me in will be made available when the heat index drops below 110 during daylight.
Wow. Knitting as an extreme sport... who knew?
ReplyDeletethere's a website/blog out there that was asking for extreme knitting pics. i suppose you could qualify that, since you were injured during the process. thank you for the warning about koigu, i bought a skein for myself, to make footies. i'll remmeber to pay attention
ReplyDeleteI found out the hard way that Manos can cause the same injury. Warning labels should be required on all sinfully-luxurious hand-painted yarns!
ReplyDeleteIt might help if I remembered to prop The Knee up on the couch and not the coffee table, but then that would be smart, wouldn't it?
Hope you feel better soon!
I have a cat who likes to curl in my lap when I'm knitting with my feet propped on the coffee table. Over the course of an evening, he gradually works himself around until he's sprawled the full length of my legs - with his 12 pounds centered on my knees. I thought it was cute until I couldn't walk the next morning. We've negotiated a new arrangement that works for both of us.
ReplyDeleteA little Advil works wonders. Get well soon.
P.S. You really should submit your Extreme Knitting Experience here: http://knittinglibran.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteI've done that wonderful knee trick, and it isn't fun. Once I even managed to hurt my arm in the process because I fell after I got up because of the pain in my knee. Can't wait to see you injury related socks!
ReplyDeleteDiane, I think a 14 lb. Boston pup landing on my lap for some love probably had something to do with this injury. This dog can JUMP.
ReplyDeleteIt was the Zen Knitting. My gosh was it the size of a basketball, too?
ReplyDeleteSure hope it's better now.