Ravelry - mind boggling stuff

I have just joined Ravelry and spent an hour trying to figure out how to add things to it. Flikr is easy peasy in comparison. maybe I was just tired tonight and not in a techno mood. I am quite technophobic even on a good day. I will try again tomorrow when my little ole grey cells have had a long sleep!

The main trouble I have with it is that when they ask me to choose a yarn weight they are all in US terms ,of course, so I have no idea if UK double knit is worsted, 8ply or whatever. Why does life have to be so complicated. Why can't yarn manufacturer's world wide use a number code for ball bands. They could still use the names we know but put another code on it relevant to other countries indicating a thickness. The Internet has made patterns universal so why can't yarn manufacturers realise this and adapt to this so that US can use UK patterns and visa versa without all the tension swatching and yarn thickness guesswork we knitters and crocheters go through at the moment.

I have just finished knitting a pair of fingerless mitts from a free web pattern called Fetching by Knitty.com. I have quite small hands so used 3.75mm set and double knitting instead of the aran that was recommended. They turned out quite well but I added another cable set before I cast off at the palm as they were rather short. If I make another pair I will finish off with 4 rows of K1 P1 rib before casting off as they curl and roll down at the moment. I must confess I didn't use the picot cast off method as described on the pattern as I thought that would make the cast off even more frilly than it already is.

I started to crochet a pair of openwork fingerless mitts from Stitch n Bitch The Happy Hooker but was not happy with either the pattern or the tension of them as you can see in the photo. They are more decorative than warm which is not what I wanted so I pulled back what I had made and will knit some instead. I saw a finished pair on Flikr and they looked far closer in tension than my mitts so maybe the 4ply I tried is too thick for the pattern or maybe I am still having a problem getting crochet tension tight enough after my carpal tunnel operation. They may have turned out OK had I continued with them but I lost patience with the pattern. I don't find Stitch n Bitch a book that I can follow easily. I have been crocheting for 40 plus years and I struggle with some of the patterns in there.

I am going to start the Sweet Pea shawl tomorrow in black from the book so I hope there are no mistakes in this pattern as I am in the mood for some easy type crochet especially as I am using black yarn.

My niece came today with her newly pregnant friend but she hasn't got the nesting urge yet so could not decide on anything she wanted knitting for baby to be. There is plenty time as baby is not due until April.

I am trying to decide whether I feel energetic enough to go to the gym on Monday morning. Walking the dog, having breakfast and then going to the gym eats into all of the morning. I don't usually get back home until after 1pm and keep missing Loose Women on TV. Plus my knit and crochet time is depleted just at a time when I am trying to get a speed up for Christmas.