we did it!!!!!

phew - we did it!!! the marathon is over, and i can report that we managed to complete the whole course in a quite respectable 4:47:20!!! here's how our day went:

we met up early, but it definitely wasn't bright. we'd all been checking the weather forecast obsessively all week, and it had literally been changing by the hour. sunday finally dawned, but you couldn't really tell - it was gray, dark, and dreich, with a dense mist hanging over the city.

undaunted, we met in the drizzling, misty rain to finish our race prep (last minute Clif bars for some, and most importantly, face-painting!)

then posed for a couple of group photos - in what was now no longer mist, but pouring rain - before everyone headed off to their various start points. (helen, i think, has had rather too much caffeine by this point).

leg one (lilith) - 8.3 miles

the starting area was pretty chaotic, and it's fair to say that i had completely gone past nervous into complete panic at this point. after a fair few visits to the ever-glamourous portaloos, i joined my group of runners - the start was staggered depending on your predicted finish time, and despite being quite near the back, i was made even more nervous by being surrounded by so many folk who looked like Serious Runners. (i had uploaded my Glympse tracking info, and i heard from lesley afterwards that all they could see before the official race start was my little icon jigging about & turning in circles!).
once things got going, i felt a bit better - now all i had to do was make it to where paula was waiting for me! i was running the leg that went through the city centre, and the atmosphere was great - loads of folk were on the streets cheering & shouting encouragement, and a few shop & cafe owners along the route were offering use of their loo facilities to nervous runners!! overall the route what was i'd expected - quite flat & good going, with a few good downhill runs - but there were a couple of sections that looked totally flat on the route map, but which turned out to be energy-sapping long, slow inclines (my least favourite type of run!). i'm not used to running with music, so hadn't brought anything to distract me - instead, i kept setting myself little mental challenges to keep myself going (see if you can pass the guy with the incredibly hairy back! keep up with the man wearing a kilt, he's going a good speed! you can't get outpaced by a man dressed as a beer bottle, for heaven's sake!!!). i was also trying to keep an eye out for the official event photographers, so i could do my best Serious Runner face.

pretty good, eh? as we got out onto the coast the sun came through for a bit, but the wind started to pick up, and i could feel myself starting to get tired & slow down. but as we came along the coast into musselburgh, loads of folk were out in their front gardens to cheer us on - blasting music, shouting encouragement, handing out sweets/fruit/water, and little kids hanging over walls wanting to high-five runners - which may explain why i didn't spot the official event photographer who captured what's turned out to be my favourite shot of the day!!

(also, i had no idea that i was faster than Spiderman - & now i have the picture to prove it!!). less than half a mile later, i was being funnelled into the relay changeover point, and handed the relay wristband over to paula for her leg, while i headed off for a shower & some food. i managed to complete my leg in what i thought was a decent 1:26:30 - but when i arrived back at the finish area, i was just in time to see the first place male runner cross the finish line!! it's a little bit gutting to think that someone managed to run a FULL marathon in the time it took me to run 8.3 miles & walk 2 miles. oh well - there's always next year...


Leg Two (Paula) – 5.5 miles

When I stepped off the coach at Musselburgh to stumble towards my start point, it was pretty clear that most of the relay runners had the same idea and affliction, as the queues for the eight Portaloos on site were growing longer by the busload.  The rain had just about stopped, which was lucky since I left my umbrella in the toilet and was not prepared to venture back in for it, but being on the coast it was mightily windy and there was no real shelter for my timbers or my nerves.

I’ve probably already mentioned that I’m the non-runner of Team 4ply, and even after the marathon I’m prepared to hold onto that title. What I didn’t mention – to you, good reader, or my teammates – was that I hadn’t been for a run further than the one from couch to fridge since our last team Parkrun three weeks earlier. And as I stood among the other Second Leggers, like a teacup in a storm, I felt completely out of my depth and very close to cracking.

That feeling only really intensified over the two hours that I carb-loaded and spot-jogged around the playing field, trying hard to warm rapidly cooling muscles without knackering myself in the process.  A standing start is never the best way to begin a run; a standing around start is more stressful still. Waiting is the enemy of calm.

Tracking Lilith’s progress online was a real comfort though – and I soon had a small group of fellow runners gathered around, checking every few minutes how close their teammates might be. As Lilith reached Portobello, nervous giggling erupted and we all felt the urge to just start running, preferably back to the bus stop.

First though, we clapped politely, but somewhat tensely, as the pace car and marathon leaders passed by after only forty-ish minutes.  Everyone was a little subdued after that as we realised it wouldn’t be long until we were underway, or perhaps that we were never going to make it look as easy as those guys did.  All the would-be runners shuffled forwards into our labelled pens, craning our necks to spot our Leg Ones in the oncoming throng.

Then Lilith rounded the bend, and I saw her almost instantly. It put me at a distinct advantage over the rest of the crowd that my teammate was wonderfully conspicuous: pink locks blowing in the breeze, neon shorts and orange vest making doubly sure. And as she reached me, all the logistical anxieties of the day drifted away, and it was finally time to do what I was there for.

So I ran.  And, you know what, it was fine.  Tough, at times, particularly in the quieter moments, as we ran across long stretches of coastal road without housing schemes to spill out spectators, but then the next town would roll along and the cheering crowds and kindly-offered sweets broke the monotony once more.

 Pacing, hydration, breathing techniques: every little thing I’d learned about running over the last year fell out of my head, and I genuinely just put one foot in front of the other until I reached the beautiful Mile 13 marker, and found that fresh burst of energy that only surfaces with an upcoming finish line.  And then there was Helen: fresh-faced and highly caffeinated, holding out a hand for the wristband that was our baton.  I’ve never been so glad to relinquish jewellery in all my days.

Afterwards, I walked the four miles to the finish line, where I ate free chocolate, high-fived complete strangers, and shared a chuckle with Limmy.  All in all, not such a bad race day celebration.

Leg Three (Helen/Purlpower) 8.2 miles

So, after much bus confusion (moved from one bus to another twice, bus drivers who didn't know where the race was happening!) I eventually made it to my starting position. The weather was spectacularly bad even by Scottish standards - when even the Castle disappears you know it's a misty morning:

By the time our bus found our starting position for leg three though the rain was starting to clear, although the wind was still quite lively down by the beautiful coast near Cockenzie. There was a tent to shelter from the wind and a nice organiser clearly explained to us that runners of Leg 3 needed to be ready to wait at Changeover Point 2 whereas the nearby Changeover Point 3 was for runners of Leg 4. Seems simple now but in the fug of pre-race nerves and caffeinated energy gels this sounded terribly complicated....I got out my knitting to reduce the tension much to the amusement of my new comrades:

Thanks to the marvel of modern phones Leg Four runner, Steven, and I were able to track the progress of Lilith and that gave us a good idea of when Paula might appear.

It was great to have a fellow teammate waiting with me but without doubt the waiting at changeover point was my least favourite part of the day. Should I go for another wee? Should I take off my extra layers now and risk getting cold? Should I keep sitting down or start moving? If I have another energy flapjack will I explode? And then, suddenly, she was there and it was time to receive the wristband of doom and get going:

Compared to waiting and the race logistics the running itself was a piece of cake...or highly caffeinated energy gel. I was so glad that Paula and I had been to scope out the route all those weeks ago because at least I knew that there were no surprise hills coming up. However I had not realised that my route despite it being called 'the Gosford Leg' would take me through the grounds and past the front door of the stunning Gosford House at Longniddry. It was a good job the course was so beautiful because it took my mind off how bloomin' hot the weather had suddenly become:

In true Scottish style we'd had at least four seasons by lunchtime and as we made our way through the beautiful wooded grounds of Gosford House and past its impressive frontage several people doing the proper marathon began to fade in the heat. All around me people were slowing their pace to a walk, stopping and in a couple of cases collapsing (there was excellent medical help on scene within moments which was reassuring). As a relay runner I was conscious of the fact that although this was the longest distance I had ever raced, it was small fry compared to those who had already done nearly 20 miles by the time I joined in the fun.

The support (and jelly beans) from the crowd at this point was crucial in keeping everyone going. Happily, my parents had made it up from Derby to watch me and although I accidentally hit my mum with a discarded water bottle, I think they had a good time...

My golden rule for being photographed remains 'if you can't look good, at least look deliberately daft' and I kept that tradition going as I arrived Changeover point 3 to hand over to Steven for the final leg. My goal had been to run the whole of my stretch, however slowly, with no walks or stops and having succeeded in that I collapsed on the grass, medal in hand, elated and exhausted.

Leg 4 (Steven) The Glory Leg 4.4 miles

Elaine here, interviewing Steven post-marathon. As he puts it, the thought of writing a blog is more stressful than the marathon!

What were your feelings on the bus journey towards your changeover point?
Initially after struggling to find the right bus amongst all the tourist buses in the centre of Edinburgh, I was finally on my way. Everyone around started pulling out their lunch. Generally being a laid back kind of guy, it hadn't occurred to me to bring any food along. It'll be fine I thought. The buses made their way through Edinburgh, until we hit an unscheduled stop on the by-pass. Judging by the gesturing and accusations between the drivers, it appeared that we were lost...

How did everyone react to that on the bus?
A few people started to stress as they realised that their runners might beat the buses to the changeover point. We started bonding in panic, google-mapping our location, and trying to figure out where we were. We did find the road that would take us back to Prestonpans, however it was blocked with runners for some race ...

As we eventually drove back to where we were meant to be, blue skies appeared, and the sun came out, bringing back memories of my run last year in the EMF 10K for the MS Society. That day had been hot, hilly and hellish, and I swore I'd never do it again. [Elaine - Sorry about that!]

Fortunately, reaching Prestonpans, I realised the nice cooling sea breeze would be behind me to help push me along the route.

Arriving at the changeover point, I met up with team-mate Helen, and together we waited for Paula to arrive. Due to the extremely busy mobile networks, we pooled our device resources to try and figure out Paula's eta, and what was happening with the supporters back at the finish line. [Elaine - We had zero signal, and very little idea of where anyone was. I had received a text from Steve a while back saying the buses were lost, and radio blackout since. We too were trying every mobile in a vain attempt to get some information. All my texts and calls were never received by Steve]

Paula arrived, and Helen took off with bracelet of doom to do her leg, which involved coming back to the same point where she left us.

Soon after Paula left to claim her victory massage at the MS Society tent, and I was on my own. It'll be fine, I thought.

What was it like while you waited for Helen?
I went off to get changed, test the porta-loos and do a bit of stretching. I had nothing to eat, but wasn't really hungry so I started trying to set up my Glympse link, repeatedly sending it through to Elaine. [Elaine - who eventually received the text, but had zero 3G to actually retrieve the link to his location.]

The other relay team members started coming through and exchanging their bracelets, including one team who appeared to be sharing one pair of trainers for some unknown reason.. And then all too quickly Helen arrived and it was time to snap a quick photo, put on the bracelet of doom and I was off at last! It was about 2 pm by this point, and we had met up for pre-run photos 6 hours earlier.

What was the run like?
The run was good. I guiltily passed the marathon runners on their 22nd mile with a spring in my step and my playlist in my ears. Until I hit the numerous piles of water bottles, orange quarters, energy gel packets and comedy scenario banana skins. Dodging through these without incident, I plodded my way past the power station and cheering crowds. [Elaine - I don't think everyone made it through these piles without incident, as we saw one woman while we waited at the finish line who had clearly fallen on the route, but carrying on with a steely determined look on her cut and bloodied face]

What was it like coming up to the finish line?
I was starting to feel it by the 26th mile, well, the 4th for me. I was also feeling like a bit of a fraud, as the supporters were so enthusiastically cheering us on, and I was running alongside runners who'd been going since 10 this morning, while I'd only been running for 50 minutes. I got a boost when I spotted all my team mates cheering me on at the final corner.

[Elaine - Steven running past, balancing a small man on his head]

And then I was at the finish line!

After a comedy half hour trying to relocate the whole team with no-one having any mobile signal, and in some cases battery power, the team were finally reunited at the MS Society tent!

We would all like to say a massive thank you to all our sponsors - you helped us to raise an amazing £1488.11 for the MS Society Scotland!! More than double our original target! At the risk of sounding like an Oscars acceptance speech, you helped to motivate us to keep on going when it was cold, raining, and (in the early days of training) dark. You helped us to push through the self-doubt that we'd taken on more than we were capable of. And most importantly, you helped the MS Society Scotland to fund research into relieving the symptoms, and looking for a cure for MS.

Thank you from team4ply! Paula, Helen, Lilith, Steve and Elaine x

PS - there's still time to donate, and to enter the prize draw. Don't forget that to be entered you NEED to email teamfourply@gmail.com. We'll be keeping the draw open until midnight on Friday the 13th (UK time) and then we'll draw the prizes over the weekend.

pack up your troubles

it's official - i'm seriously stressed, and emotions are running (haha!) pretty high around here. yesterday, i burst into tears because one of my flip-flops broke - never mind that i've had them for three years & they only cost a quid. & last night, i dreamed someone stole all my running clothes right before the race.

 

being on the autistic spectrum means that i struggle hugely with any change or disruption to my regular routine. one of the common symptoms of an ASD (autistic spectrum disorder) is what's referred to as a lack of imagination - this doesn't mean "imagination" in a creative sense, but rather an inability to "read" social situations and reasonably predict/imagine what might happen next. for an autistic person, routine is everything - because if something alters your standard day-to-day, and you can't make a reasonable prediction of the effect of this alteration, LITERALLY ANYTHING could happen next. not being able to find your shoes could mean that it might rain. running out of your normal breakfast cereal could mean that you might crash the car on your way to work. & having to pack a bag & travel to another city could mean that the world might end in some awful alien invasion or zombie apocalypse.

 

over time, your rational mind learns that these things probably won't happen. but with any change or disruption, the stress & panic still surfaces, and sometimes the best you can do is let it bubble away in the background & just get on with things. it's safe to say that from now until i'm back home again on monday, i will be nauseous, headachy, and pretty sleep-deprived. i'll be worrying about everything (what if i throw up? what if the buses are late? what if the noise & chaos is just too much, & i have a full-on meltdown?), even the things that probably won't happen (what if i can't find my team at the start? what if i somehow get lost on the marathon route? what if the elastic in my new running shorts breaks & they fall down in front of everyone?). honestly, running my 8.5 mile relay leg will be the easiest part of the day for me (& that's pretty hard!).

 

there's not much i can do about this - it's just how my brain is wired, & i can't go through life without any disruption or change. apart from my usual anti-stress measures (knitting!), my only coping strategy in this kind of situation is "plan what you can" - that is, focus on the things that i *do* have control over, and plan the heck out of them. i have lists upon lists upon lists - what i'm taking, what goes with what, what goes in what bag, what to wear when, and what i've already packed - so hopefully nothing important will slip through my stressed-out brain. and yesterday, under supervision from my anti-stress advisor, i started packing my race day kit.

 

 

it's made me feel a little more under control, and i'm doing my best not to panic. but if you see a pink-mohawked woman running on sunday while holding her shorts up, for heaven's sake, hand her a safety pin, because she might have forgotten to pack one.

 

Running: the good, the bad, the ugly....

So Paula has decided that running is really not her thing. Which is fair enough. The whole point of this venture was to give it a try and that's what we've done so far.

The good:
For myself, sometimes I just love running. My physiotherapists warned me to be careful and mostly I have been. I love the atmosphere of a race day and how good it feels when I hit the right rhythm. Plus the sense of achievement at the end and not to mention the medals:

I don't believe in hiding my medals away in a drawer somewhere. I worked for them and I want them on display!

As part of my training for the Marathon I did the Bupa women's 10k in Glasgow earlier this month. The atmosphere was amazing. People sat out in the street outside their homes all day cheering us on. It was a bit too hot but still really good fun.

And after the race I went celebrating with my fast friend Jude:

Look out for Jude doing the half marathon on Sunday, super speedy

The bad:
Sometimes running doesn't like me very much. I did a little bit too much dog walking and training after the 10k and have hurt my knee and achilles tendons, possibly through my hypermobility caused over-extension.

(I won't blame my doggy charge for encouraging me to walk too much though, she's too cute). 

The ugly:
But I'm going to take it easy between now and Sunday and fingers crossed there will be another medal in my collection by Monday...And maybe some more photos of me running with a crazed expression like this beauty, captured at the end of the Bupa 10k without my knowledge:

If you can make it to Edinburgh on Sunday please come and cheer us on in person. There's some more information about the course here.

Don't forget that you can still donate to our Just Giving Page and win grand prizes by following the instructions!

The Finish Line

I’m not a runner; it’s just not in me.  I lack the physique, the mentality, and, apparently, the capacity for runner’s buzz, that elusive euphoria that I’ve heard makes dragging one’s lazy hind-end around a track of a Saturday morning vaguely worthwhile.  My nose has a better chance at this marathon than I do, running, as it does, with an unparalleled enthusiasm, throughout every ill-conceived jog I attempt.

And it’s not for want of trying that I find myself with a week to go until the Hairy Haggis Marathon Relay and no nearer to athletic prowess. I’ve been running, more or less consistently (maybe less more than more though) for over a year; pounding pavements, parks and my head against the nearest wall twice weekly – and weakly twice.  But to no avail. Running, to me, is eating soup with a sieve: it’s a constant struggle, I can almost taste success, but I still end up with a sticky top and a burning chest.

That one time when running was fun.

So much so that I’ve finally admitted the obvious: it’s time to step out of the day-glo clobber and scrub jogging off the list of Things To Force Myself To Do Today.

After next week’s big relay then, I’ll finally give my trusty running shoes that carriage clock they’ve been dreaming of since our first pitiful outing together all those months ago.  And the local parks can again chirp without the pained sounds of me creaking and wheezing along their once peaceful paths.

Am I sad to be coming to the end of my short-lived running career?  A little, I suppose, in the same way that I was sad when they cancelled Eldorado. I’ll miss the bright clothes, the heavy breathing and the lacklustre performances. But, like watching the mighty show itself, I’ve finally come to realise it was never the most productive way to spend my early evenings.

Please consider sponsoring Team 4ply’s marathon efforts in aid of MS Society Scotland – and give my awful running career the last-minute meaning it so greatly needs.  Thank you!  

powered by chocolate

since i'm the kind of person who likes to know All The Things before i do anything, i've been busy reading as much pre-marathon advice that i can get my hands on. everything i've seen so far recommends a pre-event "taper" - that is, in the week or so before your race day, it's a good idea to gradually decrease your training time/mileage, and include at least a few days of complete rest immediately beforehand. since my training plan was disrupted by last month's revolting cold, & the breathing issues that followed, i still haven't actually made it up to the mileage i'll need to do on the day. but rather than panic about that & try to squeeze in any more last minute training, i've decided to follow the taper advice & start winding things down a bit, now that the marathon is less than TWO WEEKS away (yikes!!!).

 

so, since today's 6.5 mile run was my last long run before marathon day (i'm still planning a few short & easy runs between now & then, though!) i decided it was a good time to try out a few race-day things - the clothes i plan to wear, my new water bottle holder, and most importantly, race-day nutrition.

 

 

the marathon starts at 10am, and since i'm doing the first leg, i'm not going to have tons of time to eat (& properly digest!) huge amounts of food beforehand - but since it's likely that i'm going to burn roughly 1200 calories during my 8.5 miles, i'm definitely going to need more fuel than my standard granola & yogurt breakfast gives me! i've had Clif bars before, so i know they work well for me, but i've never tried any kind of energy gels. generally, my normal "long" runs aren't usually more than 4-5 miles, so as long as i eat a good balanced amount of food, i do ok without any extra mid-run fuel. but since i've started extending my distance, i have been aware of a point at about the five mile mark where i can feel my energy levels start to drop, so a mid-run energy boost seemed like a good plan. alas, some of the advice i was reading suggested that energy gels might give some people "gastrointrestinal distress" (nice, eh?), and having heard race day horror stories from other runners (i'll spare you the details!) it seemed like a good plan to try them out before marathon day, just in case!!!

well, i'm happy to report that i had no "distress" of any kind (aren't you glad i shared that with you?). i definitely didn't feel the same kind of mid-run energy slump that i have done in previous long runs, and amazingly, my overall pace was considerably faster than any other long run i've done in this training cycle! i don't quite have the eat-while-you-run rhythm down pat, so i did need to take a little walking break to slurp down my gels, but it all seemed to work out pretty well for a first attempt. & the gels that i got taste almost exactly like chocolate buttercream frosting - & if you know me & my ridiculous sweet tooth & excessive love of chocolate at all, you'll know that this is a Very Good Thing.

so, when you see me on the day, watch out - i'll be powered by chocolate!!!

 

Exercising with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Hypermobililty and PoTS

So, this being Ehlers Danlos Awareness Month it seems like a good opportunity to blog about exercising with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome - I have the Hypermobility type - and also the associated problem of PoTS (that's postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome don't you know, now breathe!)

(A hypermobile big toe, yesterday)

Here's the lay person's 'in a nutshell' guide to what these two conditions mean for me: widespread pain in almost every joint or muscle at some point during every week; chronic fatigue and flare-ups of acute fatigue; and fainting fits. All caused (it is theorised) by weak or over-stretchy collagen throughout my body and being genetic, that's never going to change. The stretchy collagen means that the ligaments which keep 'normal 'joints within 'normal' range are overstretched. My joints pop out of their proper position all the time - or as the witty cartoonist Hannah Ensor puts it 'my joints go out more than I do'!

In terms of running the main challenges are my knee and ankle joints, which are really unstable. Thankfully, since being diagnosed I've had excellent support (PUN!) from my local NHS podiatry and physiotherapy teams. I usually walk with the custom made orthotics pictured below in a neutral trainer - the above purple Saucony's being my current running trainer of choice. 

As an experiment though I was recently fitted for new trainers at Run4It in Glasgow and have opted for a more supportive trainer which I'm going to try without the orthotics and see how that feels. Also they are blue and well-snazz.

There are much more detailed explanations of both types of EDS here and PoTS here so I'm not going to repeat any of that but it should be clear from the above description just why exercising might be a challenge for someone with EDS.

It took over ten years for me to be correctly diagnosed and at that point I was housebound for much of the time. Once I had my diagnosis I began reading as much as I could about my conditions (there's lots more about my life with EDS and PoTS on my old blog for anyone who is particularly interested in that story).

I decided that for me (I would never tell anyone else what they should do with their body) getting stronger and fitter was something I could do to improve my overall life. It made sense to me that if joints are unstable and ligaments are stretched then the one thing I can have some control over is my muscle. Ten years of semi-regular bed rest had left me with very little muscle indeed and having never been at all sporty or strong, building it up is taking time. But the improvements are amazing. I can carry small shopping bags home again from the supermarket, for example, something that had become impossible for me in my early thirties.

I am absolutely convinced that I will be able to lift that bottom 10kg weight by the end of this year. I started with 0.5k weights last year and I'm now up to 8kg. Grrrrr!

Since entering the Tri-Together triathlon last year I've been really inspired by some of the stories I've read online from other people with multiple conditions and EDS. Two of my favourites are Donna's Beating Limitations Blog and Lara Bloom's story of doing the London Marathon which has been made into a documentary that will be screened at several cinemas this month. 

(three quarters of Team4Ply at Pollock Park Run last weekend)

And last but not least, exercising has also helped me make some tremendous new friends.

Every member of Team4Ply has had their own challenges in getting this far but we are absolutely determined to do the best we can on May 25th and we thank you all for your support so far. If you haven't donated already (or even if you have!) please do so today by visiting our Just Giving Page .

Don't forget that you can win PRIZES! by donating to our Just Giving Page. You can also donate by text: Just text TPLY49 £5 (or whatever amount you want to give) to 70070 


**The fancy new term for this is self management and if you go here you can see me looking uncharacteristically glamorous as I received the award for 'Self Management Champion of the Year' in the Scottish Parliament last year. Ooh la la!

prizes prizes prizes!!!

(just bumping this up a bit on the blog, in case anyone had forgotten about the fact that there are AWESOME PRIZES up for grabs!!!)

here's what you could win if you make a donation to Team 4ply - you can donate quickly & easily via our JustGiving page!!! to find out more about how to donate & win, just look here. we'll keep updating this page with new & fabulous prizes over the next few weeks, so keep checking back...

to kick things off, how about a gift certificate worth £44 (all the fours for Team 4ply!!) to the Old Maiden Aunt Yarns shop? it's almost enough to bag yourself 4 skeins of some lovely 4ply...

 

 

& how about a shiny project bag full of pretties? all six original tester skeins (superwash merino sock yarn) for the new 2014 Old Maiden Aunt Yarn collection, plus a hand-sewn Made By Loumms sock project bag!!!

 

 

 

fancy some art? donated by locally-based gallery Bonny-Art, this watercolour painting "Highland Loch View" is by Scottish artist William Melrose (includes narrow silver frame - framed dimensions 62x47cm). Bonny-Art is based in Paisley & is a new online gallery with a diverse collection of affordable paintings, prints & drawings.

 

or, how about a custom knit? the lovely Nicki (luluminstrel on Ravelry) has offered to knit a pair of socks for one lucky winner, who will get to pick their own sock pattern and have the choice of a selection of sock yarns from her (pretty fabulous!) yarn stash!!

what about a set of beautiful stitch markers? or you can use them as pretty necklace pendants if you're not a knitter - or even if you are! They have no joins at the ring, so nothing to snag or catch in your work. I (Elaine) made these myself and I hope you love them!

 

Juice cherry stitch markers (small) - there are five sets of these up for grabs. They fit up to 5mm needles, and include one without a leaf in case you're knitting in the round and need an identifying marker.

 

 

One set of the larger juice cherry stitch markers, fitting up to a whopping 10 mm needle.

 

 

One set each of the cute little owl markers above and below, fitting up to a 5 mm needle.

 

 

or how about these stunning Swarovski crystal stitch markers in hot fiery oranges, and a coal black, fitting up to size 5mm needles, or the larger sparkling heart markers below fitting up to size 10 mm needles.

 

 

from a lovely anonymous donor, how about some spinning fluff?

 

 

this is "copper beech" - a very subtle tweed mix of merino, alpaca and black welsh wool, combining purples, greens, reds, browns (two small batts, totalling 85g).

 

 

and this is "midnight in the pines" - a mix of merino and bamboo with nylon sparkles, in greens & shimmering blacks (two small batts, total of 87g).

how about your own custom-made hand-woven scarf? Ange at WeftBlown is donating one of her "weather-bitten" scarves, hand-woven from Old Maiden Aunt shetland 2ply. the winner will get to pick their choice of OMA colourway, and one of the two available "weather-bitten" styles, and will receive their own custom-woven scarf!!

 

keep checking back for more prizes soon.....

 

Talking about life with MS, crafting, knitting and being positive with my friend Chris

When the idea of doing the Edinburgh Marathon relay for MS Scotland was first muted at knitting group I knew I wanted to do it in honour of my friend Chris. Her positivity in the face of living with MS has been an inspiration to me in living with my own long term conditions. Also we met via the popular knitting website Ravelry so it seemed a perfect fit.

I thought that more people needed to hear Chris' story of living with MS and the great work that the MS Society do in Scotland and the rest of the UK. So with a lot of help from my podcasting friend Ant** I have done a podcast! (I'm pretty sure Kirsty Young is fearing for her job right now...)

Please share this podcast far and wide so as many people as possible can be touched by the power of Chris' words. And then please donate to our Just Giving Page if you haven't already done so.

Don't forget that if you donate you can be entered into our prize draw to win some excellent crafty goodness - more details here!

**Huge thanks to Ant for hosting this podcast for free on his Anterviews network. Anterviews is a great project based on Ant's belief that ordinary people can have the most extraordinary stories and he's taking the project to the stage in September so go have a look at his work here