Monday 5 May 2008

New Glasses

It has become my habit to stitch wearing my 'old' reading/sewing glasses and the Eschenbach. On one hand I like it because the Eschenbach magnify the work so that I can see it easily, on the other hand they tire my eyes and it has become obvious to me that my 'old' glasses are no longer up to the job. When I had my eyes tested, the optician suggested that I might benefit from varifocals, so on Saturday I collected a strange and very expensive 'new' pair of glasses. At the optician’s they gave me a crash course on how to move my eyes up and down through the different focal lengths and to pan side to side with my head rather than my eyes.

My initial impression is a good one but I have to retrain myself to stop peering over the top of the glass for distance and get used to walking around in them – twice I’ve nearly fallen over as the ground rushed up to meet me!

The real test for me is "can I stitch in them?", and I am happy to report that I can. Again, I have to retrain my eyes, the reading/stitching focal length is in the bottom of the lenses – I have to drop my eyes rather than my head – at the moment this is a conscience movement but I am sure that it will become natural after a few hours stitching. The good news is that I can see (nearly) as well with the 'new' glasses as I could with the 'old' glasses and the Eschenbach. This is me threading a size 6 hand-made needle with ease.



Karahana is certainly a good workout for new glasses. I think gold work is quite hard on the eyes even in good light. This weekend the light has not been ideal; it was either overcast or patchy cloud, which means one moment you are stitching in poor light and the next the sun bounces of the gold enough to blind you, but I think I have managed quiet well. Comparing the stitches to those on the first petal, I don’t think they are quiet as good but I think when I get used to the 'new' glasses they will improve – practice makes perfect!

© JEC/Carol-Anne Conway

© JEC/Carol-Anne Conway

So now when I am stitching with one eye and watching TV with the other I will have to retrain myself to not keep sliding my glasses up and down my nose!

Happy Stitching

3 comments:

Margaret said...

I have the same sort of glasses and now that I am used to them I really like the fact that I can slightly tilt my head and see what I want to see. My home computer screen is about 3 feet from my face, and my work screen is closer but I can work with both. Mind you, I also just had an appointment and my reading prescription needs to be stronger! I just worried I was going blind.
As usual, all your work is lovely.
Margaret

KV said...

Forty years ago my father was given trifocals to wear -- the poor man had the dickens of a time mastering curbs from the street to the sidewalk for months. Glasses today are made so much better and you are going to be so happy using these.

The embroidery is stunning!


Kathy V in NM

Jane said...

Glad to hear the new glasses are working out, I'm sure you'll get used to them soon. Karahana is looking good, keep up the good work.