If you go down to the woods today

Blogger does not like my photos today so I will try to post them later.

If you go down to the woods today you might see scarier things than me! These have been carved by some chappie with a chain saw using the stumps of fallen or felled trees. The kids seem to love them but on a misty winter morning they can give quite a start to the unwary! Futher along they have made a felled tree into a dinasour,a stump into a throne and an owl which unfortunately someone has pushed over so he is a slightly leaning drunken owl.

The hat is my adaptation of a child's penguin hat.
http://home.howstuffworks.com/free-hat-knitting-patterns.htm
My son wore a penguin hat to a motor bike rally and is now forever associated with anything remotely penguin and his nickname is Pingu. I used chunky wool and 4.50mm needles to adapt it to fit an adult but I think I would use 5mm next time as it fits a little snug.

The sock knitting hasn't progressed much as I unpicked the purple sock last night as it was bit loose in the tension for my liking. Try as I might I battle with my tension on 5 needles and still knit slack so am starting afresh on a couple of sizes smaller needles. I have quite small feet so most sock patterns are a little large if I knit them exactly to the pattern. The smaller the needles then the better my tension is. The multi coloured socks are great on one size smaller than the pattern. I am now on the foot of the first sock. My knitting came to an abrupt halt last night when I slept the whole evening away on the sofa. I had put the central heating on for all the day and I have found out that being too warm and knitting don't equate in the same sentence with me. It's back to being a bit colder and knitting
from now on.

My son rang this morning with an order for another double sided knit peruvian hat (in subtle man colours) was his directive. I still have some grey random and some black left from the penguin hat so hopefully there will be enough for another helmet.I must remember to take a photo this time before I give the hat to my son.

Amber - you are so right.(see previous post) How could I forget Harry. it's just that Dolores is such a strong personality that she takes centre stage like a true Prima Donna. I connect to her on a personal level as years ago when I was on the CB radio my handle was "Woolly Jumper" and my keepsake was a sheep. I was never quite as debauched as Dolores although I have been known to get drunk, fall over and ladder a few fishnets in my time! I can always say that in my hey day I have lived my life!

Ever since I read the poem "Warning" by Jenny Joseph http://web.ukonline.co.uk/ruth.livingstone/parlour/warning.htm
I decided that I will live my life as I wish and never worry about tomorrow. If you read the poem you will understand where my love of purple comes from! I said to my son I wanted to be eccentric when I grow old and he said don't worry mother you are more than half way there already! He once said "You know it hasn't always been easy growing up with a dingbat for a mother"