International Women's Festival

The squares above are hopefully destined to become part of a knitted garden in aid of the International Women's Festival. They were donated to me by Claire and had previously been samples from a wool importer.

I belong to a group of knitters (Knitty Noras - look us up on Yahoo websites if you want more details) who meet once a month at the Cafe Nero in Bolton. Lisa, one of the members, has this great idea of knitting a garden for the International Women's Festival. I am sure she will not mind my pasting her comment to us from our web site describing something about it. I will post the dates for the diplay in Bolton Town Centre when I get them in case any ladies ( or gents) are interested in looking at the finished work. Quite a few of the members have ideas about knitted flowers, mushrooms and vegetables for this garden so let's hope we can make a good effort for Lisa. Vicky has ideas about a knitted garden shed and crazy paving path.

***The Public Knit Out for the launch of The International Women's Festival is now taking place at Bolton Library (huge thanks to Caroline and Michael, so that's on Saturday 1st March - time to be confirmed. The garden will be on display in Bolton Town Centre for the first week of the Women's Festival - then we hope it will go on display in the library for a while.***

If anyone has time to knit any 20cms squares in greens (or browns) for the garden please let Lisa know (I can supply contact details) as it is all on a bit of a dead line to get it finished in time. I have found a crochet mushroom pattern and will post the links for knitted mushrooms and vegetables. If you don't want to join in Lisa's garden project then the patterns might inspire you to make one of your own.

http://kathrynivy. com/patterns/ free/myriad- mushrooms/

www.littlecottonrab bits.typepad. co.uk/free_ knitting_ patterns (Also has pattern for gorgeous little Easter egg decorations)

www.knittingpattern central.com/ directory/ flowers.php

www.magknits. com/Sept05/ patterns/ garden.htm (veggie patterns)

www.knitfish. com/12 (has all food related knits including veggies)

www.littlecottonrab bits.typepad. co.uk/free_ knitting_ patterns (Also has pattern for gorgeous little Easter egg decorations)

www.knittingpattern central.com/ directory/ flowers.php

www.magknits. com/Sept05/ patterns/ garden.htm (veggie patterns)

www.knitfish. com/12 (has all food related knits including veggies)

I finished off the doubled knitted helmets and took them to my son as part of his belated birthday present but completely forgot to photograph them before I gave them to him! I crocheted one as well (whilst waiting at the hospital yesterday!) but gave that away before photo call. I have gone back to knitting a sock I started a couple of months ago and then stopped when I had the Christmas present rush. I must get a couple of pairs knitted up from my birthday sock book.

Good news on the hospital visit. The lumps on my saliva ducts are not cancerous nor are there any stones in them. They are still swollen though. I am being tested now for something called Sjogren Syndrome which basically means that you don't produce anough saliva or fluids in eyes and even nether regions (which would explain a lot as I thought I was a bit old for menopausal symptoms!)and that results in the ducts closing up. I have had my blood taken so await results. I decided to ring the other hospital whilst I was on a roll about my back. Of course I reached the ansaphone of the secretary who doesn't work on a Friday so left yet another message. I had my 4th MRI back scan on October 16th so am getting a bit worried that I have, once again, got lost in the system as I have heard nothing from him since despite a couple of phone calls. If anyone from Hope Hospital is reading this can you give Mr Mohammed a prod for me?