My Soft Spot for Crocheting – The Beginnings

Baby Sized Afghan Tunisian Entrelac Blanket

Dear Reader,

Fall has come.  A few days ago I woke up in the morning and asked my sis (her name is Ana) to bring me a pair of socks to put on. Then, I wrapped myself as best as I could in the zigzagy  blanket that I crocheted two and a half years ago.  A warm cup of coffee would have been nice, but, since I am on a strict diet, I’m only allowed to drink natural juices and tea.  Around this time of the year, artsy craftsy  people get their hooks and needles on and start making all sorts of blankets, sweaters, shawls, cardigans, ponchoshats, and all sorts of other little bits and pieces.  This year, I am unable to join the crowd.  I know you will tell me that nothing can stop me, but there is something stopping me (last week, my sister and I tried to record on how to make and attach tassels to a shawl; I was missing so many yarn threads and loops that it became frustrating and weird, so I asked Ana to show the instructions for me – it was the first time she ever worked with a crochet hook…anyway, it is the same when I crochet simple stitches as well: I start with a chain of 20, the first row ends up with 22 single crochet stitches, the second goes to 19, the third uppers into 22 again and so on…Plus, I am unable to stop the tears from flooding down my cheeks when I am holding the bloody plastic hook in my hand.). So, today, I’ll talk a little about crocheting and how crocheting was just about to turn my life around (maybe it can still do so?). I have wanted to talk about this subject for months. read more

Despre slăbiciunea mea pentru arta croșetatului, partea a 3-a din 5 (lansarea canalului Youtube)

Beginner Crocheted Blankets

Dragă cititorule,

Este a treia zi de când scriem (îmi tot spun în mintea mea că e prima zi, probabil pentru că Am ascultat melodia „First Day” de Timo Maas și Brian Molko; mi-am amintit de tipul din videoclip, care mi-a plăcut foarte mult, și am avut un vis frumos cu el). În fine, astăzi vom vorbi despre lucruri mai pragmatice și vom face mai puțină filozofie, deci mai puține vorbe goale. Ideea pe care încercam să o transmit este că am început să mă dedic unor puncte de lucru și proiecte de croșetat mai complexe. Și odată ce m-am angajat, am început să învăț incredibil de repede. read more

Despre slăbiciunea mea pentru arta croșetatului, partea a 2-a din 5 (primul proiect: o pătură afgan/entrelac)

Baby Sized Afghan Tunisian Entrelac Blanket

Dragă cititorule,

Astăzi este a doua zi în care scriem despre croșetat și probabil vom scrie și mâine. Trebuie să merg la o plimbare cu mama mea, Ana și Pufi, Yorkshire Terrierul, mai târziu în această seară. *Mă obligă*. Sunt îngrozită să ies afară din casă. Dar creierul și plămânii mei cer o gură de aer proaspăt. Vreau să fac o fotografie amuzantă cu mine (arătându-mi dragostea pentru fire), dar asta se poate face abia mâine – va fi adăugată într-o postare viitoare. În această dimineață, Ana mi-a dat o cană de lapte cald cu cacao în loc de cafea. Am apreciat foarte mult. Este foarte grijulie și încearcă întotdeauna să găsească ceva sănătos să-mi facă în loc de mâncarea proastă pe care aș vrea să o mănânc uneori. De fapt, nu am mai mâncat nimic din categoria ”mâncare proastă” de aproape un an. Dar din când în când, familia mea mă răsfață cu o felie de pizza și niște dulciuri. Dar obiceiurile mele alimentare nu sunt importante în acest moment (totuși, te rog să înțelegi că familia mea are mare grijă de mine). Așa că, să revenim la croșetat. read more

Despre slăbiciunea mea pentru arta croșetatului, partea 1 din 5 (începuturile poveștii de iubire)

First Crochet Lessons and Crochet Stitches

29 septembrie 2014

Dragă Cititorule,

A venit toamna. Acum câteva zile m-am trezit dimineața și am rugat-o pe sora mea (pe care o cheamă Ana) să-mi aducă o pereche de șosete de încălțat. Apoi, m-am înfășurat cât de bine am putut în pătura zig-zag pe care am croșetat-o ​​acum doi ani și jumătate. O ceașcă caldă de cafea ar fi fost plăcută, dar, cum țin o dietă strictă, am voie să beau doar sucuri naturale și ceai. În această perioadă a anului, meșterii amatori își pun croșetele și andrelele și încep să facă tot felul de pături , pulovere , șaluri , cardigane , ponchouri , pălării și tot felul de alte mărunțișuri. Anul acesta, nu mă pot alătura mulțimii. Știu că îmi vei spune că nimic nu mă poate opri, dar există ceva ce mă oprește. Săptămâna trecută, eu și sora mea am încercat să înregistrăm cum să facem și să atașăm ciucuri la un șal , dar îmi lipseau atât de multe fire și bucle, încât a devenit frustrant și ciudat, așa că am rugat-o pe Ana să-mi arate instrucțiunile (a fost prima dată când a lucrat cu o croșetă …). În fine, la fel este și când croșetez piciorușe simple: încep cu un lanț de 20, primul rând se termină cu 22 de piciorușe simple , al doilea ajunge la 19, al treilea ajunge din nou la 22 și așa mai departe… În plus, nu pot opri lacrimile să-mi curgă pe obraji când țin în mână croșeta aceea însângerată de plastic.). Așa că, astăzi, voi vorbi puțin despre croșetat și cum croșetatul era pe cale să-mi schimbe viața (poate că încă mai poate?). Am vrut să vorbesc despre acest subiect de luni de zile! read more

Fall is Coming with New Ideas, Plans and Sue Sidle Thoughts

Fall is Coming Leaves

Dear Readers,

Yet again, it has been quite a while since my last post. …Unbelievable how time passes… .114 days until the end of the year… . Yes, I am counting the end of my days. It is the first time in my life that I wish for the time to pass as quickly as possible. I even ask my sister to „wake me up when September ends”. She said she would if she were able to. I even asked her to induce me into a coma, and she is such a kindhearted person, that she googled about the problem and explained to me just how risky something like that would be. I wish my thoughts were a little happier. But it isn’t as bad as I make it sound. read more

I Had A Stroke At 26 – part 4

Victory Sign catalinastan.com

Dear Readers,

Welcome back for the last part of my story. If you were unable to read the previous parts here are the links: part 1, part 2 and part 3.

My last post ended with me being on an ambulance heading back to my hometown. Unfortunately for me I wasn’t sent to my home, like I had hoped, but, instead I was taken to the hospital to continue the treatment and to run more tests. It was a huge disappointment being back in the hospital, but then I thought that it would be easier because I would have the support of all of my family. Sadly, it didn’t become easier at all, I felt only disgust. I could not believe the difference between the person I was two months before the accident and the person I had become in the hospital. read more

I Had A Stroke At 26 – part 3

Intensive Care catalinastan.com

Dear Reader,

The 3rd part of the story of how I became unable to see and hear is finally here. Here are the 1st and 2nd parts of the story, in case you missed the previous posts, so you can have a better understanding of what happened.

It is becoming harder and harder to talk about this events and it is breaking my heart into more thousands of pieces just by thinking of them. But I started it, so I have to finish it.

In my previous post I said that I was yet again moved to another hospital: The National Institute of Cerebral Vascular Diseases. For the love of God, I didn’t understand why I had to be moved again! I thought that the treatment was going well and I finally started feeling a little safer and comfortable. While there, I remember saying:”But I can see myself in the mirror!”. I was faintly able to recognize myself in the mirror, I could see my mother’s blurred face. Right now, I would give anything to have even a quarter of what I could see back then. But my brain doesn’t want to give even 1% back. It is unbelievable and incredibly painful to lose so much in such a short time. read more

I had a stroke at 26 – part 2

Pinned to the Bed catalinastan.com

Dear Reader,

Thank you for coming back to read my story. If you are new here you should refer to part 1. Let’s continue with the story.

Last time I said that I had to see a specialist in infectious diseases. We were referred to The Hospital Of Infectiuos and Tropical Diseases „Victor Babes”, and a neurosurgeon at the Bagdasar-Arseni Emergency Hospital in the capital, Bucharest. Me and my parents arrived there on the 27th of November. Firstly, we went to see the neurosurgeon. He looked through my files and asked for the MRI scans. However, we didn’t have any because weren’t given anything of the sort when I was discharged. There was only the review made by the radiologist. He immediately lost interest in my case and his attitude expressed that I was wasting his time and that he was in a hurry as he was scheduled for a surgery. He basically kicked us out of the door. read more

I Had A Stroke at 26 – part 1

Braila Emergency Hospital catalinastan.com

Dear Readers,

It has been quite a while since my last post (100 days to be exact).I apologize for that, but I think I was waiting for something good to happen to report back to you. Many times I said I wasn’t ready to talk about what had happened to me, but I think it’s about time I shared my story to the world. My family has continuously searched for cases similar to mine. But they couldn’t find anything, because what has happened to me is something very rare and there isn’t much data. read more

Friday, the 113th

Dear Reader,

Last time I wrote to you I said I had set my mind to do the extraordinary with the few abilities I have left. But, also, I asked for a little time to heal. Well, I think I am going to need even more time.

It’s been 113 days since life kicked me in the butt and I’ve been laying smashed into the ground ever since. There is very little strength left in my arms to pick myself up from the ground. This is not like a headache where you take a pill and the pain goes away. It is not like a tooth ache and going to the dentist and having your cavity treated or your tooth extracted. It is not even like having a surgery where your problem is fixed and wait for your wounds to heal in time. I look to my left. Black. I look to my right. Black. I look up, down. I turn myself around and look. All I see is BLACK. It does not matter how much I rub my eyes. It does not matter how many gallons of tears wash up my cheeks. This is not going away. It’s like a pest and if it ever goes away, it will only do so when there won’t be any hope, power and will left and all that will be left of me will be a hollow of the person I was. In all honesty, if I were in a group and we were chased in the forest by Jason, I would be the first to fall down and I would be „chainsawed”. read more