ASCRS 2017

So I had the awesome opportunity to present some of my research at the annual meeting for the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery. The meeting was in Seattle so I had some quality time on planes. Time for knitting!

I made friends with one of the flight attendants who pet my scarf. We talked shop for a little bit and he asked for my pattern (Baci by Anne Hansen). 

When I finally made it to Seattle I was pleasantly surprised by how pretty everything was even along the highway. I even have a nice view from my hotel room. 

I got the opportunity to catch up with some of my mentors from residency which is always nice. My poster was well received too. 

I went at noon and talked about our research into quality of life and cost-effectiveness after surgery for locally advanced rectal cancer. 

Getting home was an adventure. There was weather over Chicago so we circled Midway for a while before we got diverted to Des Moines. Once there I found out that my original flight to Omaha had been cancelled and they were going to add a stop in St. Louis. So I got off the plane and ended up sharing the last rental car at the airport with an elementary school teacher from Alaska. 

It's definitely good to be home!

Spinning

One of my life-long dreams has been to get a spinning wheel. One of my attendings brought me out to her farm and taught me how to spin on her wheel a few months ago. I've been itching to get a wheel ever since. 

Fast forward to a couple weeks ago, I was poking around on Facebook Marketplace and I found a wheel for $45!!  A little bit of poking around on Ravelry and the internet and I determined the wheel was worth a lot more than that. So I bought it!!

It's a Joe Jorgensen wheel, he's a guy that used to live up in Grant's Pass, Oregon and made about 450 spinning wheels. Each wheel is slightly different. There are some aspects that make me think that not all of this wheel is original but I love it all the same. 

I spent a lot of this weekend cleaning it up and trying to get it running. The main thing I'm waiting for now is a spring for my Scotch tension. I drove all over Omaha this weekend trying to find one with no success, but I ordered one and it will be here tomorrow. 

I'm really eager to start spinning, but I only have one bobbin and I'm going to have to send it off to get more bobbins made. Since each JJ wheel is different I can't just go online somewhere and buy some...so custom-made it is. 

Either way I'm super excited to finally start on this part of my fiber crafts journey!!

Hello?

A lot has happened in the almost 8 years since I last posted on this blog.  I highly doubt that anyone is still reading this thing.  That said, I feel like this is something that I'd like to pick up again.

Since the last time that I posted, I've started and completed surgical residency and I've moved halfway across the country to work as a Research Fellow in Colorectal surgery.  Someday (maybe) I'll finish my training and get a real job.

Recently, I've been longing to get back to crafting and start finishing some of my lingering projects.  For example, the baby blanket for my friend's baby that is now 14 months old (oops!).

Here's to more adventures!