Ouch!

I think the flu jab would have gone better if the nurse had used a needle with a point! I have been having them for years and never had such an ouch. I think she used my wool darner instead!

Drum roll and sounds of cheers

Ta da! Ta Da! I feel like taking a bow. Kevin's aran is FINISHED! Wow it has to be the longest time I have ever had a garment on the needles. I can honestly say that I have hated every moment of it and can now relax and do some knitting that I enjoy. Well at least I can after I have finished his matching hat! I must be a glutton for punishment but I just can't bear to see a ball of matching wool left over. My genes won't allow me to ignore it when it would make a lovely hat. Maybe some wrist warmers as well? Now I am just being silly and getting carried away.

I actually managed to persuade my digi camera to take a photo of the aran. My house is rather gloomy so it is not represented in the best of lights but never the less it's another Ta Da for me. Usually when I take photos and check them later nothing has happened. Maybe technology is creeping up on me slowly?

I am off to Ramsbottom craft shop tomorrow to hopefully choose some nice wool for my niece's cardigan (or sweater I am relying on my other niece to choose for her) so the sparks will once again be flying off my needles as I still have quite a few things to make before Christmas.

Today I must do a Tesco shop ( I have a £5.50p voucher to soften the pain), get my flu jab (ouch) and fit another dog walk in before dusk. I was thinking about doing some housework but it is such a thankless task. I am not a particularly tidy person as anyone who knows me well will testify so I have to tidy before I can dust and hoover. When I have tidied I then I can't find anything so everything comes out again until I find what I am looking for so I am back to cluttered again. I am thinking of investing in a set of basket trays in shelves for my craft (messy) corner. I have a nest of baskets at the moment but I have to take the top baskets off to sort through the bottom boxes so it wasn't exactly my best idea. I may get one of those plastic 3 container toy boxes on wheels then I could at least make some attempt to tidy it into the pantry when I am expecting guests etc.

Maybe I will just make a coffee and knit some more on the hat whilst I contemplate.

True colour of blue crochet

I managed to sneak up on my web cam for this photo of Caroline's crochet cardigan. If I try to focus the camera then the colour goes greyer and greyer the longer the camera stays pointed at the subject so I apologise for the fuzziness I just captured the colour before it went!

Kevin's aran continues to haunt me. I have managed 64 rows of the pattern on the 2nd sleeve now and have calculated that I need a further 96 rows to finish. How sad it is that I have to force myself to count rows? Thankfully it is a raglan so once I start the decreases then the rows will go faster. I picked up a cream aran cardigan that I had knitted one front of a few weeks ago (for a friend) and sailed through another front last night so obviously I haven't lost my knitting mojo. Admittedly she is size 8/10 so not as much knitting as for my size 18. Now that should be an incentive for me to diet - less stitches and much less wool = more garments!

I have now organised my yarn stash into my spare bedroom. Well apart from the messy clutter (sorry craft corner!) that is lurking in my front room and not counting the patterns, boxes and bags in the pantry. I have now got some hanging files for the filing cabinet I gleaned from Freecycle but I am reluctant to take time from my knitting/crochet schedule to organise my patterns (thousands) from storage boxes into categories for filing. My friend Caroline is always trying to organise me so if I get a visit from her before Christmas perhaps she will motivate me.

She normally comes and prods me into putting up the Christmas tree and lights etc. I do love Christmas with all it's glitter just not so good these days with hauling the tree etc down from the loft. My tree is looking very shabby these days but once it is trimmed up not much of it shows. I look on it as a rather worn well loved teddy bear and am loathe to part with it for sentimental reasons. Anyway it is good for the planet using up old things and not buying new. I am not a person who changes the colour scheme of the baubles every year I prefer the old favourites. My nativity scene figures have been with me since I was a little girl although I do have a replacement Baby Jesus as it's original was made of wax and straw and got melted when I put the candles too close to the scene and set the stable on fire as a child. My Baby Jesus is out of scale and looks like a full grown toddler compared with Mary. I have also lost a couple of lambs along the way. One day I will make another stable as my little figures look a bit pathetic sitting there on the window sill.

The dog is looking rather forlorn as we had a bit of a lie in this morning and he hasn't yet had his breakfast or walk. I am such a bad mummy today. I think I will skip the morning walk and take him for a longer one at lunchtime. I should go up and get my flu jab as well. They only do them between 1 - 2 pm at my surgery so maybe Buster will have to wait until later for his walk. He is still limping so I think missing one walk will help rest it a little.

Another Christmas present finished!

I have finished a shortie crochet cardigan for my friend Caroline for Christmas. She is such a slim little thing that it seems to take no time at all to make anything for her. There is no pattern as I just made it up as I went along using her forgotten cardigan as a template. I really must sort out my digital camera as the cardi is a rather gorgeous shade of cornflower blue and my camera has turned it into another dirgy bluey grey colour. For some reason my camera does not like blue or purple shades. Turns them all to grey!

I have finished the first sleeve of Kevin's aran and done 32 pattern rows on sleeve number 2 so am on the countdown to hopefully finishing it this week. I love it when I am on the final stretch of anything makes me want to knit faster and faster! I can't stick at it so I will find another project from my Christmas list to start tomorrow.

The first layer of the M&S chocolates has also disappeared. I have tried to ration them out but they are just so yummy that I get tempted. I can't see the next layer lasting long either! I rarely buy chocolates for myself and it's probably as well as I just can't leave them alone if anyone buys them for me. I have put my bunch of flowers on the coffee table where I can see them most of the time. They don't last that long so while they are fresh I want to see them at their best.

I turned down going to Fibre and Clay at the weekend as I didn't think I wanted anything and so now I am going to have to go to Ramsbottom for some wool to use for my niece and her husband. Of all the yarns I already have I can't see any suitable colours in the right amount for what I have in mind. Isn't it always the way? I have managed to make 2 gifts from my stashed yarn so I don't feel too bad.

Kamrin - I am so glad that you too understand my joy at the birthday gift of a sock book. I love books and I browse all the time on the net for the latest crochet books. I do wish they would give more photos of the book contents as I can only afford the odd book now and again and so would like one with at least 3 or 4 things in it that I know I will make. My local library is useless and I have tried browsing the cache of the other local libraries via the library's facilities and have come to the conclusion that the people who order the books in Bury obviously are not crafters in any shape or form. The choice is pitiful. I went into Waterstones in Bury and they had 2 knitting books (both basic how to knit books) and I got told "We don't have any call for knitting books as people buy them on the net" I said people probably do that because you don't have any !!

What a great day!

I had a wonderful birthday. Quite the best one I can remember in a very long time. Not because of the presents (which were very useful welcome ones) but the fact I had family and friends around me most of the day. For someone who spends 90% of her time alone (well apart from the dog) it was a day to remember.

First visitors were my brother and his wife who bought me a lovely warm hooded coat (pictured right on the photo) who stayed for about an hour. Next came my friend Caroline with her son who bought me the Sock Book pictured plus the chocolates and a bunch of flowers. Her husband couldn't quite believe that anyone would want a sock book as a present but I did and it was most gratefully received. I will certainly be making use of it once the Christmas knitting/crochet is out of the way. Whilst my friend was here my niece arrived with my present of some walking boots and then to fill up the house my son, his wife and their dog arrived. They bought me a much needed set of waterproofs for my dog walking (pictured left on the photo). They then took the two dogs out for a walk which freed me up from the second walk of the day. Much as I love Buster I was glad of the break. Everyone stayed for a couple of hours.

I ran Caroline home as she had gleaned some hanging files for my filing cabinet. She rescued them from the discarded pile at her work. They had updated the filing system so they were obsolete to them. They were only too glad of her taking them away and I was overjoyed to receive them for free. I will have quite a bit of work to do this week filing my personal stuff in one drawer and all my knit and crochet patterns in the other 3 drawers. Well what else does one use a filing cabinet for?

I am off now to sample my chocolates and have a drink to toast my Birthday and finish off a perfect day. I just hope Kevin's aran sleeve doesn't have too many mistakes if I have more than one drink!

Almost 62 - I can't believe it!

Not much knitting or crocheting done this week (Shame on me as I have SO much to do before Christmas!) as I was taken out on Thursday by my niece and her best friend for a pre birthday meal at San Rocco in Cheetham Hill. It was so lovely to go out for a meal. The last time was for the same occasion (different restaurant) last year. I hadn't been the the San Rocco for many years and I am pleased to say that it is still as good as I remembered it. Too often I have treasured memories of a place only to re-visit and be very disappointed. Worse still if I have recommended it to a friend! I had melon with prawns in a Marie sauce for starter, chicken in cream sauce with wild mushrooms, potatoes and green beans for main. I did have a pudding (well it was a birthday treat after all!) but it was really very rich so unfortunately I couldn't finish it gorgeous though it was. Chocolate, cream, meringue, sponge with a touch of liqueur - very creamy but just all a bit too much for someone who has been avoiding such things for months.

We did take some photos with my camera in the restaurant but none of them came out. Yes Vicky I do need some lessons but in all fairness one of them was taken by Louise and that didn't come out either! I compensated by taking some when I got home. I have also posted photos of me in my youth as a sort of now and then so that you can see how the years have treated me. I am so old the first ones are in black and white! I certainly don't feel 62. Well OK so I am not 62 until tomorrow but some days I do feel my age when I can't tie my shoelaces or bend down to the pan cupboard I feel creeky but in my mind that is something that is purely linked to my bad back and nothing to do with getting old! I might have to revise that statement if I ever get my back fixed. Then I will have to blame something else! Mentally I am somewhere in my 40's and that's where I am staying. As long as I don't start dressing like mutton then I am OK ( I do have nieces and friends who will tell me if I do so don't worry)

I didn't post on Friday as I seem to be starting with a bad cold. It is the kind that doesn't quite "come out" but still leaves you a a bit miserable and shivery. I really must go on Monday and get my flu shot. It is well overdue now. Today hasn't helped as I took Buster out and got absolutely soaked even through my waterproof. My son is getting me a set of waterproofs for my birthday so hopefully my wet dog walk days are numbered. My nieces are buying me some hiking boots so no more wet feet. The things I do for this dog! He is still limping but getting better day by day so I think it was just a muscle strain.

I must get on with my knitting now. I am almost up to the raglan shaping on sleeve one of Kevin's aran. I really will heave a sigh of relief when that is finished. I have never had a project last SO LONG. I have started crocheting a short cardigan for my friend for Christmas but not done much of that either so today I must push on!

Flapper style mohair hat and scarf

I crocheted a flapper style hat with matching scarf from some Hayfield Mohair and when I tried it on I felt like Mary Pickford or one of the old movie stars about to be abducted by Rudolph Valentino and taken to his tent in the desert. The hat and scarf are really warm. The scarf could be used as a wrap it's quite wide but I feel it is far too hot for me to ever wear and so will be destined for sale if anyone would be willing to pay the cost of 6 balls of mohair. I doubt if either of my nieces are warm hat kind of girls so can't think of anyone that I could give it to as a Christmas present.

I have finished off Sue's cardigan and put some slightly glittery blue buttons on it so I hope she will like it. I took another photo with me wearing it and it does look marginally better than the flat on the hanger photo I took yesterday.

Buster has hurt his leg. I don't know what he has done. He came back from his walk on Monday and was OK and then later on I was in the kitchen when I heard a bang and a lot of scuffling and he came in limping and showing me his paw. I presume he fell off the sofa and landed funnily. I have checked his foot and leg over thoroughly and nothing seems swollen but he is still limping. I didn't take him for walks yesterday and today he is walking better but still limping. If it doesn't get any better then I will have to visit the vet's once again. I know it sounds mean but I really can't afford another trip this month so I am hoping he has just pulled something and will be back to his normal self tomorrow.

One more Christmas gift finished

I have finished the denim blue crochet short sleeved cardigan (well apart from sewing in a couple of tails and putting the buttons on) I have made for my ex's 2nd wife for Christmas. Yes I know, people do find it strange that we exchange Christmas presents but we do. I have also started one of the sleeves for Kevin's suit of armour aran so am hopeful on a finish for that before Christmas but as I hurt my wrist last time I pressed on with it I am proceeding very slowly with that one.

I woke this morning to a scene of mayhem in the back garden. I have several of those temporary plastic grow house structures and one of the smaller ones had blown over during the night scattering it's contents all around. I also had quite a few plant pots with cabbages and sprouts growing in them on a shelf and they are now upside down on the floor. I guess I will be spending some time sorting everything out. I had already decided to dismantle the smaller grow houses for the winter but just not got around to it so I guess Mother Nature is giving me a push! I will have to find ways of tying the 2 big grow houses down more firmly as I need to keep them assembled over the winter to protect the cabbages etc when the frost comes.

I sat last night compiling my "to do" list for Christmas gifts and decided that if I am to make the things which I would like to make as gifts then I will need even less sleep and plenty black coffee. My toes aren't doing much whilst I watch the TV. Is it too late to teach them to crochet? I must organise my time a bit better. 2 dog walks per day use up valuable craft time. I had thought of crocheting as I walk along but Buster demands stick and ball throws on a minute by minute basis so my gloves get very muddy so perhaps it's not a good idea after all. I could cut down on the housework I suppose but as my house is very disorganised even on a good day then I would probably lose things even more. I could stop perusing the PC as much. I am addicted to looking at other people's blogs and I have to look daily on Flikr to see the latest crochet photos. It's a bit like being a kid in a sweet shop. I see lovely things on a daily basis and bookmark them to give me ideas for later. I will never have enough hours in a day to make a quarter of the things I would like to.

The penalty of knitting too much

I have been cursed by Kevin's aran. I had knitted one side of the V whilst watching "How to look good naked" last night on TV so tonight I tried to push on with the 2nd side and try to get it finished off tonight. I had to chart out the decreases as I was adapting from a cardigan pattern which had the front bands knitted in so I could not use their version of the neck decreases. I had got two thirds of the way up the second bit of the V when I got this pain in my wrist. I think I have upset my carpal tunnel operation site as my wrist is aching badly. The knitting is fairly stiff so I must have done too many rows over the last 2 days. I hate wearing the wrist strap as it has a metal bar running all along my palm so makes it impossible to bend my hand ( that's probably the point of it!) so typing is difficult. I hope a good night's rest will stop the pain. I am not going to try to do more than my 16 rows tomorrow. I have learnt my lesson the hard way.

I had put my knitting down on the sofa before putting it away for the evening, I picked up my glass of orange juice (wearing my splint) and then whilst watching tv I nodded off and spilt the almost full glass down me and all over the aran front and the sofa. Well that woke me up fairly quickly. Good job it wasn't coffee! I can't wash the front as it is still on the needles so I will just have to hope that it doesn't stain.

The dog is back to his 2 walks a day off his lead. he is back to chasing sticks so I think he is over the operation now. He was a bit fretful this morning as I went to water aerobics and then to Asda. This was the first time I had left him since his operation and he has been very clingy. We had some sad news at the water aerobics. One of our ladies died at the weekend aged 69. I didn't go last week but she was there the week before. She looked about 55 I had no idea she was over 60. I didn't get the full story of what exactly happened but I did hear someone mention cancer. Another of our ladies has had a mastectomy but we have not had any news of how she is as yet.

The lump under my chin is still there and has not gone any smaller so I guess I will be getting referred to the specialist if it's still there next week. It's not painful but it does seem to get larger when I am eating so I think the dentist's tentative diagnosis of a blocked saliva gland is probably right.

I just had to share this

I was blog browsing this morning when I came across this on a blog and had to share it with you


"Draw a crazy picture, write a nutty poem, sing a mumble-gumble song, whistle through your comb. Do a loony-goony dance 'cross the kitchen floor, put something silly in the world that ain't been there before."
-Shel Silverstein

Hey someone else in the world is as crazy as me! I thought I was the only one dancing the polka when everyone else was dancing the waltz.

16 rows done so it's time to crochet

I did my obligatory 16 rows on Kevin's aran and that brings me to 8 rows short of the armholes on the front so I may get more done tomorrow as the V and raglan shaping will mean I can get more rows done as the stitches decrease. There is hope for a finish before Christmas. This knitting is taking me the longest time to complete a garment in a long time. It's very slow going compared to my usual speed.

I could not wait to start some crochet. I am making a short sleeved cardigan for my ex husband's new wife for Christmas. I am using some cotton I bought from Lidl and am very pleased with the quality of it considering how little I paid for the cotton. I have made the back already and started one of the fronts. I really am a crochet girl at heart. I just love how fast it grows. My wrist is aching somewhat but I am not sure if it is from the aran, the crochet or just the cold weather annoying my arthritis.

I must try to master how to use my digital camera as the photo above taken with a web cam is fuzzy and the colours are all wrong. The aran is a denim blue shade and the crochet is a dark denim blue shade.

The dog is happy now he is back to his off the lead walks and stick retrieving. He loses the stick many times though because of the thick drift of leaves. He has a habit of skidding to a halt and that causes a mini avalanche of leaves down the hillside and so he loses the stick. He has a good nose and often eventually finds it but sometimes I have to distract him with another stick or we would be there all day whilst he sniffs around trying to find the lost one. We had a hairy moment today when we met a woman walking 7 dogs in a variety of sizes. She had them all off the lead and so they were reacting as a pack so it was a bit unnerving for Buster as they clustered all around him. I managed to shoo the aggressive ones away with my stick as she had little control over them. Surely even an animal lover would not keep 7 dogs. Imagine the vet bills on those!

I overslept this morning as I had a very disturbed night's sleep. I must have eventually dozed off in the wee hours and so I slept in until 9.30am which is unheard of for me! I normally get by on 5 - 6 hours sleep per night. Last night I had about 4hrs I think. I was going to have an early night but here it is at 1.30am and I am typing on the blog as I don't feel tired at all. I will go to bed in a few minutes though and try to get some sleep.

Crochet hats and thoughts of the sun

I have been crocheting hats up from the spare oddments of yarn that get left over the years and clutter up the drawers. They are just made from my ideas. Some colourways worked, some were a little iffy and one is definitely dodgy. I hope maybe to get a few bob from them if they sell on E bay. I was sorting out s few other items I made during the year to go on as well. (Have to pay the vet bills somehow and I don't think the red light in the porch and the fishnet tights idea will work - not much passing trade where I live!) Whilst I was holed up in the cold listening to the rain, crocheting and knitting away, I got an e mail from my cousin who is in northern Florida at the moment chatting about tans and sunshine!

Her husband was in the Navy and on his retirement they bought a boat and have been cruising around the world since 2000. This year they set off from Kingston, Ontario in May and went cruising the Great Lakes before going south again. She says they hope to be in Antigua by April but will leave their boat ashore there for the hurricane season and come home to Plymouth for a short time. It makes my life seem somewhat sedentary compared with hers. We started off life at the same time and used to play together as small children. I was always the daredevil tomboy hanging upside down from a tree and she was the ladylike little girl playing with her dolls. I would never have guessed that she would finish up sailing around the world in her retirement whilst I am sitting here crocheting. Good luck to her. She is enjoying her life and I am so jealous.

The dog has got his all clear from the vets. I just have to keep an eye on him to make sure his urinary problems don't return. He had his booster shot today so that was another £28 making his bill over £300 in all. No wonder I am joking about getting the fishnets out of retirement. At the moment it is all on my flexible friend but unfortunately they will want repaying eventually. I will have to check my many possessions for anything of value I can stick on E bay instead.

I have many ideas buzzing my head for items to make but my fingers don't seem to work as fast as they used to. Considering I no longer have to go out to work the day still rushes along and I don't seem to achieve much during the course of the day. Today I did a few more rows on Kevin's aran and stitched all the many tail ends in on the hats. Not much to show for a whole day's work, but then I did have to walk the dog twice, go to the vets and do a bit of housework as well. I found out my "new" car has a snag today. When I got in it to drive the dog to the vets I sat in a big wet patch! I presume it is either condensation from the glass on the sun roof or the roof is leaking! I will have to get Ian to have a look at it when he comes next time. I am not a fan of sun roofs as the last car where there was one fitted I practically had to drive with an umbrella up every time it rained.

My kind of crochet

Today I finished the emerald green chunky crochet stash buster cardigan. The whole thing took me a couple of nights to complete, so it's my kind of crochet for sure. It's nice every now and again to make a quick no brainer bit of crochet. I had a few hairy moments with it as the cardigan pattern was turning out too small for me. Old patterns from the 80's are much tighter fitting than today's designs. Undeterred I did my usual improvisation. Added a panel of the trebles lacey pattern from under the armpits to the bottom edge. It works for me every time. If I make a bigger size then the whole cardigan finishes up far too wide for me at the shoulder area. I only had 10 balls of Beehive chunky in Emerald (my web cam photos make it look jade green) and finished up with literally just yards left over. Whew! I am feeling good though as that is now 2 packs of yarn used from my stash. Two cardigans that cost me nothing. Not even the cost of buttons as I already had those as well! The buttons aren't the best match in the world but they will do. I may change them later if I can find a better match.

I didn't get around to my obligatory daily 16 rows of Kevin's aran yesterday so tonight I must try to do a few extra rows even though the temptation is great to start crocheting one of my Christmas presents. I do like knitting but I guess my first love is crochet. Some garments look far better in knitting. I have done crochet aran but knitted aran is far nicer especially for a man. I have promised my friend that I would finish the sweater for Christmas so I must press on with it although to be honest I am not enjoying knitting it as you have probably gathered by now.

The weather today has been wet and windy so Buster didn't bother too much when we only had one short walk today. It was a bit more exciting than usual as they are resurfacing the paths in the wood and we had to navigate our way past bulldozers, wagons and small diggers. The path was rather muddy with all the rain and digging so my boots weighed a few pounds heavier on the way home.

I have discovered a lump under my chin(s) so I phoned the dentist and have an appointment with him for tomorrow if the lump is still there. He is almost certain it is an enlarged saliva gland but as I had problems with a lump under my left ear several years ago, that required hospital treatment, he wants to check it to make sure.

Purple crochet is finished

Yes the purple crochet cardigan is finished. Not one of my better projects as you can see. If it wasn't on a yolk I would have unpicked it. The body is too long. The instructions did say chain very loosely at the start and now I realise my loosely wasn't loose enough so the whole cardigan is rather tight at the bottom of my rib which is fitting on my widest part! I might have had enough plain yarn if I had made it 3 - 4" shorter and that could have made the whole garment more appealing. Anyway it is done now. The yolk colour looks rather grey in my web cam's gaze but it is more of a match in the daylight. The pattern is from a very tattered page torn from some magazine many years ago so I cannot give any clues - not that anyone would want to crochet it anyway!

I didn't do my regulation 16 rows on Kevin's suit of aran armour last night as I wanted to get the purple creation sewn up and out of the messy (craft?) corner. I will try to attempt 32 rows today to keep myself up to speed. I have started another crochet chunky cardigan (different design)in a rather startling shade of emerald green but once again I really don't have enough yarn so I will have to work all the pieces at once and finish them all off once I see how the yarn is working out. It will be a shorter version of the pattern but I must be shorter than I used to be or styles are being worn shorter these days. The finished version of this crochet pattern that I already have in my wardrobe is almost teddy boy length so I can easily crop 12" off the body length!

The dog is recovering slowly. He cannot understand why we only have one sedate walk a day on a lead. He obviously feels OK but the vet's instructions were to keep him calm (then tell the postman not to call?), away from too many dogs (the wood is full of them no matter what time we chose), off the furniture (ever tried that one?), and no ball games that involve jumping. Considering the operation he had I presume the vet means rubber balls? The vet did say put a baby gate on the bottom of the stairs to stop him going up. I didn't have one and had no intention of buying one so I tried closing the door to the stairs but my house creaks and groans and doors open on their own so that didn't work. I have never seen any evidence of ghostly apparitions so I am hoping it is just the shifting of the house that opens doors. The only doors that don't open are the locked ones at the front and back door. I have got used to it after 39yrs here but it does scare my friend Caroline. She refuses to stay in my house alone. When my son was small he used to clap his hands and say Oooh ghosties are here mummy! If we are haunted then they are very friendly ones thank goodness.

Oh no! Not the vets again mum

Buster went for his post op check up on Monday and everything is going well as regards the operation. His bits are rather purple and bruised but that is only to be expected. On Friday morning (on his last walk before his op) he rushed down the hillside as per usual and gave a little yelp. When I took him to the vets I noticed that his right eye was a bit red. Yesterday I asked the vet to take a look as his right eye was very runny and it transpires that he must have scratched his eyeball and now has an ulcer on it. So I have to put drops in several times a day as well as giving him his antibiotic and painkiller pills. I am beginning to think I have a new career as a veterinary assistant.

On the subject of purple balls (my yarn and the dog's bits) I am crocheting up some chunky I had in my stash and as usually happens I haven't got quite enough for my project! I had another search in my stash and found some mohair in a similar purple colour but with coloured flecks in it. Luckily I have run out on the yolk so I have saved some of the original yarn for the neckband and button bands and so I hope it will look like a feature. I will post a photo tomorrow if the yolk gets finished tonight.

I am still battling with the "suit of armour" aran for Kevin and have managed to finish the back and start the front. I am limiting myself to a 16 row pattern at a stretch as it really is affecting my wrists. Luckily I started it early as Caroline wants to send it to Ireland to her brother for Christmas.

I am still deciding on some of my Christmas projects and have been looking on Flikr at people's finished projects for inspiration. There are some gorgeous items on there but some are terrible - I wonder why people find it necessary to put 12 photos of the same item (usually the awful ones) on there? I still haven't found the time to update my Ravelry. Maybe I will spend a few hours on it when I am not nursing the dog and trying to finish off Christmas items.

Mum - please don't ever leave me again!

My doggie is on the road to recovery. He is very stressed and clingy after his trip to the vet. His operation is something he will recover from and will hopefully thank me for if it works on stopping his recurrent water infections. The trauma of mum leaving him for a whole day is something that may take a while. For those who do not know my dog's history he is a rescued dog who had previously been beaten, starved and ill treated. Before he came to me (via my son) he had 3 previous owners so I guess every time he is left and caged he must feel like he is being abandoned once again. I am giving him plenty of TLC and re-assurance and hopefully this anxiousness will pass. The photo is of him clinging around my feet. Wherever I am he is there. The room was dark so the photo is too. This is his back to me, how could you do this to me, leave me alone pose.

Yesterday I went to my step great grand daughter's 2nd birthday party and took Buster with me. He stayed in the car in the drive and had to wear his silly lampshade contraption to stop him licking the wound. I cannot bear to leave him in it all day long as he can't navigate his way around wearing it and was demolishing my house in the process. I rang the vet's and they said just to put him in it when I am not with him or we are sleeping etc. I am off to Tesco to supermarket shop so he will come with me and stay in the back seat of the car. I will find a secluded part of the car park so people won't make fun of him wearing his lampshade. We have a check up tomorrow but everything seems to be healing nicely although his bits are a lovely shade of purple! I will find out then if they removed his prostate gland. I was so intent on getting him home that I forgot to ask on Friday!

I have recovered my crochet mojo. I do try to knit a few rows on Kevin's sweater every day but I had to wear my hand strapping over the weekend as I think that with the work being rather stiff and patterned it has made my wrist and hand ache. It is 11 months since my carpal tunnel operation but every now and again it really pains me if I do too much knitting and crochet. I decided to crochet a chunky cardigan for myself in easy peasy trebles ( well until I get to the yolk part) so did the back and two fronts in no time. The photo shows part of the crochet along with the front of an aran cardigan for my friend Caroline. I do like knitting but crochet is my first love. I wore my short sleeved Gedifra cotton crochet top to the party and it was very much admired by my ex husbands wife. It may sound strange but we do have a very friendly relationship and exchange Christmas presents so I now know what she will be having for her present. I bought some cotton from Lidl in a lovely shade of denim blue and then discovered in my stash that I had already got some cotton in an almost identical shade so the Lidl cotton has her name on it now. We rarely meet socially so it is unlikely that we would turn up to the same event wearing the same style top. Mine is a dark dusty pinky purple anyway.

Buster is at the vet's today

I left my darling Buster at the vet's this morning for his operation to relieve him of his manly bits. He has been having waterworks problems for ages and has had 2 courses of anti-biotics in October and still has problems so the vet thinks he will be better off without his prostate as that could be causing it. Knowing Buster it will be something else and he will have had his bits cut off for nothing!

Poor soul. I felt awful leaving him this morning as he gets very traumatised when he is left anywhere. He was originally a rescue dog so has a dubious past and is very distrustful of strangers. When my son got married and Buster was put in kennels for the day (and night) he got so distressed that he had to have doggie tranquilisers from the vet when he got home. They spent their honeymoon looking after a traumatised, tranquilised dog. Luckily they had booked a self catering honeymoon and not a hotel so he was able to go with them and not get left again.

This is the first time he has been left anywhere since I have been permanently taking care of him so I hope he realises that I am coming back for him!

I have not done much knitting this week for some reason. I do that sometimes. I either knit and crochet like a whirling dervish or slow down to a stop. One of the blogs I read the blogger says some days she has lost her knitting mojo. I know exactly what she means!

I became the proud owner (courtesy of Freecycle) last night of a free standing book case type unit which is intended for storage in the garage (once the new roof and doors are on). I put it upstairs temporarily in the spare room for the moment and then I set about re-organising my yarn stash. Guess what? The shelves are now all full of see at a glance yarn, and my under bed storage units are still full. I think the yarn is breeding in those storage units. It may look messy to others but to me it is reminiscent of my shop days. I wonder if the unit will ever find it's way into the garage? At least I can see exactly what yarn I have and how many balls etc without too much hassle. I found a huge ball of black acrylic DK (about 400grams) that I have absolutely no recollection of ever buying. Hmmm. I really am going senile after all - my son is right!