Crochet and knitted wrap overs for premature babies

I am still crocheting and knitting for the premature baby unit at the local hospital. So far I have made 4 blankets, 4 jackets, 2 hats and I have 2 more WIP crochet wrap overs almost finished. The blue crochet one pictured is one of my own designs but the pink knitted one comes from Simple Knits for Cherished Babies by Erika Knight. I used finer needles to make it smaller but I ran out of pink ( Pattern said 25 grams) so I ended with white on each front. The sleeves on the knitted one are rather short so if I make it again I will adjust when I get to that part.

I will do a few more jackets and blankets and then take a break as winter is suddenly rearing it's head and I have only got 2 pairs of warm hand knitted socks for my dog walking so I am in need of using up my 3 balls of sock yarn and making another 3 pairs asap. I have one pair on the needles but it is still at the 4" leg stage. I think I will make these next pairs with a shorter leg length anyway as I tend to roll the mid calf length ones down so no point knitting more rows than I need. I may as well stick to ankle socks with a slightly longer leg.

My knit/crochet time has diminished as I am now back at the gym on the BEATS programme a couple of mornings a week after a 6 week lay off when the doc was waiting for my X Ray results on my damaged rib cage area. I also go to water aerobics one morning as well. I will be fit and slimmer soon (wishful thinking?) as the diet alone does not seem to be working. I seem to have perfected how to stay the same weight for weeks on end but not to actually lose any more. Sigh! All these weeks of depriving myself of chocolate, cakes and biscuits has not made one pound of difference to my weight. Neither has 2 walks a day with the dog for the last 7 months. Everyone said when I got the dog " Oh the weight will come off now" Wrong ! I have changed shape and definitely feel fitter but the scales stay stubbornly at the same spot. ( I did check they aren't broken)

The gym instructor showed me 2 new exercises using a large exercise ball. Have you ever tried one? Attempts to stay ladylike failed dismally as I flayed about like a beached whale in an attempt to not only stay balanced but to do stomach crunches at the same time. No wonder it works your muscles. Sitting on it and lying back was not too bad but the lying over it was definitely dodgy. The ball wants to roll all around the gym with me on it. I now have great sympathy for those poor hamsters in those balls. It's a good job the gym ball was in a separate room as it limited damage control for the other gymnasts. The instructor did suggest I bought one for use at home. I didn't have the heart to tell him I used to have one that I used to prop my feet for months on under my PC desk until the dog decided to pop it. I did try it out once and fell off it and banged my head almost giving myself concussion thus ending my home exercise routine.

My knitting group are pumpkin carving at one member's house I think on Saturday ( I must check the date) If my dodgy car will make it past my gateposts I might try to get up there as it sounds like a fun afternoon. it says BYOP (Bring your own Pumpkin) and I presume a few cakes or buns would be a good idea as well as we can't expect her to provide snacks as well. I haven't seen any pumpkins in the shops although I must admit I wasn't exactly looking. I have a habit not seeing large displays so I could quite easily have walked past dozens of bright orange pumpkins piled high.