Reading on an ipod touch

The ipod touch, is still the best toy around as far as my peer group sees it - small, pretty, and an awesome interface. But what I find it most useful for is reading ebooks at night. The screen is lovely to read on, with a good range of text sizes on ereader and stanza, the two most popular apps on the itunes site. But the fact that it is so light and backlit are the main plusses for me - I can read happily through a sleepless night without disturbing my hubby, or even listen to an audio book if my shoulders are really painful. Having said that, most mobile phones do the same thing, so its worth looking around to see what might be the best one for your pocket.

Knitting for Neuropathy

Neuropathy in your hands makes working difficult. I am lucky that I work with computers, so can mostly keep going, but found that my hands were getting worse and worse. It became a choice between my hands or my job. In desperation I thought about something light that would move my hands in the opposite way to the keyboard and came up with knitting. Success, and resoundingly so! I find that doing at least an hours knitting every day keeps my hands going for work. I have fallen in love with Rowan wools for several reasons: The wools are lovely, and they even do ranges of natural and organic dyes, not just natural fibres that are so important for temperature control when your nerves are sending back random signals. The patterns are lovely - yes they do some baby and "classic" knit patterns, but their studio range in particular is fantastic for the latest styles, and as I am knitting, I am not limited to the 2 colours that the high street deems in this year. Because I am knitting them myself, although I go for the top end wool, the jumpers are still a fraction of what you would pay for a finished garment in the shops. Finally and most importantly, the knitting takes my mind off of my pain just enough to allow me to sit in comfort and watch the telly of an evening. Who knows - it may just work for you too...

The Healthy Back Bag

Now the weather is warmer, I felt it was time to update my bag collection and consider something lighter than waterproof leather. I have tried almost every bag style going, and need something I can change shoulder or even use no shoulders if my fibro is getting really bad. On looking around I found these bags, and decide to go for not just one of the normal bags, but one of the little bagletts too (pictured).

They arrived in two days, and after a rage about the (in)accessibility of our new sorting office, I gleefully started transferring all my stuff and then tried it for size. Its very stiff to adjust the belt, probably because I got a suede look bag so the surface is quite rough, but the strap has a textured grip layer underneath which is a great idea as you dont shrug your shoulder to keep it on if you just fling it over for a short hop. For a longer journey, I wear it across my body, and at first it felt very strange as it does actually feel as if the weight is all down your back. My shoulders felt very little effort, and I could definitely feel weight in the small of my back - odd but much more comfortable than usual. The baglett I am using like a large purse for cards, cash, drugs and a pen and some lippie. It will just about fit a cheque book, so is a decent size, and is great to take out of the larger bag for popping into town at lunchtime, leaving my bigger bag at my desk. I may just have to get a leather one too when the rainy winter weather returns....!

Yay, Comfortable Jeans

I haven't worn jeans for years now, and was starting to really miss them, however they always made my neuropathy worse so I didn't dare. Then I came across these jeans a while ago on a website, and started to wonder if they might work. They are supposed to be really stretchy and you get them in a size or two down from normal to pull you in. However this led me to believe they might be stretchy enough that I could wear them in my normal size in actual comfort, but still didn't want to speed that much money on a pair of jeans unseen.

Then just yesterday, I saw a sign for them in Wardrobe in Marlborough, Wiltshire, and couldn't resist going back. The shop was small yet friendly, and I explained my thoughts, and unsurprisingly they offered me the chance to try them on, piling me up with 4 different pairs; light blue, indigo, charcoal, and blue with sparkly bits on the back. The first pair I put on, I fell in love with. The old buttery feel of jeans sliding on, with - wait for it - a waistband that stretched almost as much as my favorite puma joggers! Admittedly the zip was a bit stiff, and I had to breathe in the do them up, but once closed they were just so comfortable. I am told they will be even more stretchy on as the lycra gives more as it warms up, so I am at last off on holiday with a pair of jeans despite my aching nerves :)