Saturday 28 February 2009

Normal Service will be resumed as soon as possible

How did I cope with Buster all the time? He seems to think I am his personal slave and plaything.

I managed to walk (well hobble) him on a walk today and we have played ball a lot of the time. Since my son had him back home he is a lot more lively than he used to be when he lived with me. Not surprising as he shares his home with a young rottweiler who chases him around all of the day.

Last night he took up his usual sleeping spot. he started off with me and then disappeared into the spare room. I had one of my coughing fits in the middle of the night and he came back in my room and laid his head over my throat as if to say - Will you shut up! He then kept licking my throat which is unusual as he is not a licking kind of dog. Whatever it was that he did it worked and I stopped coughing and went back to sleep again.

I am hoping that my new pills from the doc work soon. So far there is no improvement.

I haven't managed to get much crochet done today - I wonder why? Normality will be resumed when he goes back home again tomorrow evening.

Friday 27 February 2009

Hey - you kept all my toys




Hi - this is Buster and I am visiting for the weekend. My second mum is brill. She lets me sit on the sofa and plays with me all of the time and I don't have that pesky Rottweiler Skye chewing my ears and fighting me all the time. It took me five minutes to remember where my mum stashed all the toys. The photos are of me trying to decide which ball to chase first. I think I will just tip the whole basket on it's side and roll them all out. Then I can make a choice. Mum has just brushed me. She had forgotten the joys of my sitting on her knee and moulting all over her. Silly Mum - wearing navy blue fleecy trousers when I am coming to stay. She muttered that she has brushed enough fur out of me to make a pair of mittens.

Mum thinks she is going to do some crochet tonight - Wrong. I plan on moulting all over her Pink Duster so that she will have to play ball with me instead. I must go now - I smell something that needs investigating - hmm could be some dog biscuits. I will eat those and then slurp my water all over the kitchen floor to make a flood. Boy I really like visiting here! I have got my lead ready to drag Mum all around the woods tomorrow morning after I have slept all over her bed tonight! Boy - it's a dog's life!

Thursday 26 February 2009

Flowers in the Bath




Flowers in the bath. I had hoovered the artificial flowers from the landing and my bedroom and even though they weren't in the room when the plastering was being done they still finished up full of plaster dust. As I wasn't happy that they were dust free I put them under the shower for a rinse. Well how else do you clean your flowers?

I am still plodding on with he Pink Duster as you can see. I still have at least as much body to crochet as I have already done but it will take me longer as I increase after this row and change the pattern.

I am impatient to be finished as my new booklet Sublime crochet has arrived. Although I can't yet start anything for my niece's wedding I do have some pale grey Sublime mohair (thanks Vicky) that will make the beaded scarf pattern (without beads) for my sister in law. There are only 8 patterns in this booklet but I do like at least 5 of them so I am glad that I got it. I had it sent to me by a Ravelry member Skeinfest who lives in the US and bought it over there for me and had her husband post it to me from the UK. I could pay her in sterling so it has worked out very well for me. There is no way I could have bought the magazine without her help as Filatura Di Crosa don't appear to ship to the UK. I have linked Doris Chan's post about the book to the title of the blog if you want to see the garment photos from the magazine.

Tomorrow I am getting my son's dog Buster back for the weekend. My son and daughter in law are going away for the weekend and so I shall be looking after Buster for a few days.

Wednesday 25 February 2009

A bit of dog minding




I had the pleasure of looking after Buddy this morning. Buddy is my neighbour Julie's dog so is quite used to me but he had never stayed at my house before. He was as good as gold and played quite happily for an hour or so. It felt nice to have a dog about the place again. He took over Buster's spot as sentinel and guardian of the street on the brown chair as he gazed out of the window.

My crocheting is continuing nicely. I now have two sleeves in the Pink Duster and am back to crocheting the body. This will take some time as the coat is almost a full length one.

Today I had a telephone interview with a reporter from Yours magazine about knitting. We spoke about the knitting clubs that I belong to. The Kings Arms Knitters and the Knitting Noras. She wanted to know a little about me and how I had found out about the knit clubs. I managed to get a quick plug in about the Naked Knitting Calendar and she wants to be kept updated as to our progress and when the calendar will be up for sale.

I have got my appointment for a Bone Density Scan for next Tuesday. I will be interested to know whether I have inherited my bone problems from my family or whether it is from accidental damage over the years.

I have been catching up with blogs and we knitters seem to be an unhealthy lot of late. Me with my bones and my racking cough, Ambermoggie with her excema rash, Jam and Jerusalem's OH and his asthma cough, Vicky's sore elbow and Lisa's sore hands. Is the knitting community falling to bits? Let's hope we all get well soon!

Tuesday 24 February 2009

Doing it my way



Here I go again. Well it wouldn't be me if I actually followed a pattern as written would it? As usual I am crocheting the sleeves of the Pink Duster Coat by Doris Chan before I crochet the body. I don't like having to turn the weight of the completed body whilst crocheting the sleeves and prefer to make them whilst the garment is lighter. When I read the pattern it is supposed to have bell shaped sleeves. I am a clumsy person and if my sleeves are too large then I tend to "dust" everything in sight from tables and shelves not to mention getting hooked up on every doorknob and protruding object that is in my path. I have, therefore, decided not to increase the sleeves and keep my sleeves straight. I will be less of a danger to the general public (and myself) that way.

I haven't made as much progress as I would have liked due to nodding off in front of the TV last night. I can't remember what I was supposed to be watching but it can't have been that riveting.

Tomorrow I am looking after my neighbour Julie's dog Buddy for an hour or so and will take his photo so there will be some nice doggy photos for tomorrow's blog.

Monday 23 February 2009

I have got a date




No, not that kind of date. I wish it was that kind of date but sadly Prince Charming is still nowhere to be found. I have got my hospital date for my knee op. March 24th so it will soon come around. I just hope that I can get rid of this blooming cough before then!

Rewselene (aka -laurie) said in my comments that she would like to see photos of the bedroom that I described yesterday. Sadly most of it is now dismantled. I am sure that I have a photo somewhere showing everything in situ, including my late cat if I remember rightly, but I can't quite put my hands on it at the moment. That is not a surprising thing in my house as filing things away neatly is not one of my virtues. Discovering things in drawers and cupboards months later is part of my life these days. It adds a bit of excitement to my hum drum life! I have taken one photo of a bit of wallpaper and some of the gold leaves and one of the pile of brass bits and bobs that used to reside in my bedroom and is now waiting to be taken to the charity shop.

My pink duster has progressed a little although I am undecided whether it is a bit on the large side. I think I will try tapering it in towards the waist by either going on a smaller hook or omitting one of the chain between the shell patterns. I like things roomy but as this is a long length coat I don't want it to turn out too loose and baggy. I may decided to unravel and re-do it all on a smaller hook. I am not a lover of things too openwork despite it being the fashion these days.

Sunday 22 February 2009

Knit Out Day


Today was the monthly Knit Out day for the Knitting Noras. Thanks Vicky for the lift. I always enjoy a trip out for a chat and a knit (or crochet in my case) It was tinged with a little sadness today as it was our first Knit Out since the sad news about Sarah. We had planned to do some sewing up of the flowers for her bouquet today but Lisa had the flowers and she could not make it today. I am sure that the girls will hold another sewing up session and get it finished on time.

It is always interesting to see what other people are making and what new books they have bought. Gretchen had brought in two lovely fine lacy shawls that she had knitted. I doubt if I would ever have the patience to make anything like that. I would lose track of what row I was on or worse still accidentally pull the stitches off the needles as I am prone to do due to my knitting technique. I knit with one needle under my arm and if I am wearing a woolly sweater I can finish up with the needle still under my arm and all the stitches off the needle when I come to change over at the end of a row.

I started the Lace Duster Coat by Doris Chan whilst I am waiting for my new crochet book to arrive by post. I have linked the free pattern to the blog title if you want to see what it is supposed to look like when it is finished. I did more unravelling today at the Knit Out as I just wasn't concentrating enough. I was doing too much chatting and watching my friend's new tiny foster baby squirm about in his pram.

Tomorrow I will start some housework in earnest. I have wet dusted twice in my bedroom but the plaster dust is still settling all over everything. I have decided not to attempt to decorate the bedroom until after my knee op. I still haven't decided on the decor as although I have had the red walls and gold leaves on the ceiling ceiling for a long time I am reluctant to change to something flowery or magnolia. I have cream walls downstairs to be more conventional but my bedroom is one room I like to stamp my personality on and be a bit whacky. My one regret is that I don't have room (or the cash) for a 4 poster bed with curtains and the ceiling is far too low for an Arabian Night type canopy. I reluctantly took down my dark red draped net curtains and gold incense burners that made my room (according to my son) look like a Turkish brothel I have since been told that Turkish brothels are blue although quite how the guy who told me that knew that bit of info I didn't enquire into as his wife was in the same room! I am keeping my "Come to the Kasbah" Casablanca ceiling fan though come hell or high water.

I shall have to have a think - Hmm deep blue now there is a thought :-)

Saturday 21 February 2009

Part of my knitwear stash!




Why do I put my central heating on when I could just wear two or three of these? I wish that I could say that this is my entire wardrobe of hand made items but there is another cupboard with sleeveless tops and waistcoats in plus about 5 shawls scattered about the house. Now you know why one of my New Year's resolutions was not only to diminish my wool stash but also to stop making so many items for me!. Having said that I do have my eye on a jacket from my new crochet Aran book plus I have that Superior crochet book coming soon. I guess I shall have to have a sweater cull soon!

Yesterday I went to the hospital and was there most of the afternoon. Apparently not only do I have a tear in my cartilage I also have bad arthritis in both knees and in view of this and my often medically mentioned, but never officially diagnosed, osteoporosis, spondulitis and arthritis I am now to have a full bone scan to discover the exact state of play bone wise so that they can decide on whatever supplements I may need in the future to prevent further wear and tear. In view of my family history on both sides of my family they need to know if my osteoporosis and arthritis is genetic as both can be inherited depending on what kind it is.

I had my pre op tests and they could not find any trace of a chest infection but obviously they have to decide when to operate on my knee with my constant coughing.They want to do it asap so I may have to consult with the anaesthetist first. I have also been instructed therefore to get back in touch with my GP to be referred to ENT to make sure it is not a recurrence of nodules on my voice box. I had 2 removed about 10 yrs ago when I had a very similar coughing problem and loss of voice. I did get a compliment in pre op. I got called into a room and the technician said can you confirm your name and date of birth for me. I did. She said and your age. I said 63. She said well you must have very good genes then as I thought I had the wrong patient for a minute. I hope I look as good as you do when I am 63!

The knee specialist says I have to observe the two P's once I have my op. Patience - the op is short but the recovery is long and Physio as my knee will need a lot of work to get it back to full mobility.

I will not be getting much crochet or knitting done today as I have to clean up the bedroom after the ceiling re plaster. The workmen were really good and cleared up after themselves but there is a layer of dust over everything as the plaster settles and dries out. I dumped everything on the spare bed yesterday much to the disgust of next door's cat Oscar as he had to search to find a spot to sleep in this morning. They have 3 sometimes noisy children next door and I think he comes into my house for a bit of peaceful undisturbed sleep.

The workmen asked me if I was having a new knee when I have my op. I said no - they said pity with your "new" back and then a knee you are slowly turning into the bionic woman!

Thursday 19 February 2009

Tiny Bootees


I have made 4 pairs of bootees with the cream wool I had left over from making my two hats. I made the last pair after I took the photo in case you think that I can't count! I have shown one pair with the top left unfolded and so they look like a pair of socks. My friend can choose whether she turns them up or down. The baby is so tiny that left up they might reach his little knees!

I had a phone call today to say that my builder is coming to re plaster my bedroom ceiling bay and put a guttering on my garage first thing in the morning. When I had the garage re-roofed it didn't have a gutter on it so he didn't put one on it but now that the roof works more efficiently it needs a gutter. It will be a busy day as my niece is calling to collect my brother's birthday present from me as she will see her Dad on his birthday. In the afternoon I have an appointment to see the knee specialist. I don't think that I will get much knitting or crochet done tomorrow but I will find a small project to take with me to the hospital just in case I have a long wait.

I have to move all the bits and pieces from my bedroom tonight as everything would get very dusty otherwise. I can't move the bed but I am sure I can cover it with something and they can work around it.

Wednesday 18 February 2009

Apparently I am having a knee op


I got a phone call today which took me a little aback.The phone rang and this lady said I am making you an appointment for pre op prior to your knee operation. What operation I said? I don't know she said I am just making your pre op appointment. What am I having done? I don't know she said hasn't your specialist told you? No I said because I haven't seen him yet. My appointment is for this Friday. Oh she said - you had better come down to pre op after you have seen him then. I am bemused as I only had my scan in a van last week and things don't usually move this fast. Quite what i am having done will remain a mystery until Friday. Watch this space!

My cough is still there although it is abating somewhat. I have a voice but it does resemble Billy Ekstine for those of you old enough to remember the gravel voiced singer. I doubt if I will pass any pre op tests at the moment. It will be interesting to see if the hospital will recommend another course of anti biotics after my doctor said the virus had to run it's course. I just hope that I don't get put to the back of the operation queue because of it.

There is an article on BBC News page today that says Knitting or similar craft may delay memory loss.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7896441.stm

I shall have to blame my general dippyness on something else from now on!
Part of it says

Those who had during middle age been busy reading, playing games or engaging in craft hobbies like patchworking or knitting were found to have a 40% reduced risk of memory impairment.

But as we suspected it't not good for the TV addicts

Those who watched TV for less than 7 hours a day were also 50% less likely to develop memory loss than those who spent longer than that staring at the screen.

Not much knit or crochet done last night or today. The only thing I have made is a very small pair of bootees for my friend's small foster baby. They are from a pattern labelled premature baby but to me they look more like first size baby bootees. I have not seen a premature baby with feet this big!

Tuesday 17 February 2009

The flowers are in the post




These flowers are my contribution towards the knitted ( or in my case crocheted) bouquet that the Knitting Noras are making for Sarah. I am going to post them off as the ladies are having a sewing up session on Wednesday to assemble the flowers that we all have made. I will hopefully be able to show photos of the finished bouquet at a later date.

I have mentioned, and will continue to mention, our plans for the Naked Knitting Calendar for 2010. My friend Zuleika has given us a wonderful write up on her blog Life in the Zu. Thanks for that. it is much appreciated.

Zuleika also awarded me the Lemonade Award many days ago which with all the news of the last few days has been completely overlooked by me. Sorry Zu.
This award is given to those bloggers who show great Attitude and/or Gratitude,


The Rules of this award for recipients:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

Now anyone who knows me knows I am a complete dunderhead at anything like this but I will give it a try. I have added the award photo but as to who to include it's hard to just pick out just a few. I would of course nominate Zu but as she nominated me then I presume that's out. Here goes. Sorry I don't know how to add them as links but the links are on my favourites list so number 3 and 5 on my list of instructions just won't happen anytime soon. I can share the love but not the links!

Ambermoggie
Jam and Jerusalem
Rose - my new life in Romania
Ailsa - Not enough time to craft
Vicky's blog
Knitty Witty Woo
Crafty Andy
Tales of the Knitty
Mr Mogs basket
Knitting with my shoes off

Monday 16 February 2009

Crochet flowers for a bouquet



The Knitting Noras have decided to make a knitted bouquet of flowers either for Sarah's funeral or to give to her family as a keepsake. I am more at home with a crochet hook in hand than a pair of knitting needles so I have been crocheting some flowers to send as my contribution. I have not yet decided quite how I will attach leaves and stems to these flower heads as I don't have any forestry wire to thread through the stems. I am sure that one of the Noras will come up with a solution for this maybe using pipe cleaners.

I rang my GP this morning but he wasn't there and so I spoke to one of the partners. He said I have had the maximum dosage of antibiotics and as my chest X ray is clear then he sees no point in continuing with any more medication. The steroids were the only other option and they did nothing when I took a course of those. His opinion was that I have some kind of a virus and as anti biotics are ineffective against these then the only thing to do now is to weather it out. Easy for him to say. He is not the one with an aching chest and a persistent racking pant wetting cough! I use a CPAP for sleep apnoea at night and it is hard to breathe with that on when I am coughing like mad. The doc has prescribed a placatory bottle of linctus for me so I will try that. I have drunk bottles of this cough medicine and that cough medicine so one more won't make any difference unless there is a miracle included in this bottle.

Sunday 15 February 2009

Second anniversary day for my blog


I never thought when I first started this blog that I would still be writing down my daily thoughts some two years later. What is even more amazing to me is that people actually read it. That is something that I never envisaged when I first put finger to keyboard for the first time. I thought it would be an online personal waffle for me to refer back to at a later date. Thanks to everyone who had read and encouraged me over the last two years.

Our Knitting Noras community is still reeling from the sad news about Sarah and we are now making a knitted bouquet with each of us making flowers (in pink for breast cancer) which we hope to complete and present to Sarah's mother and sister at a later date. Our Naked Knitting Calendar web site has a tribute to Sarah. I think that we had always intended the calendar to be a tribute to Sarah but now sadly it will also become a memorial to her as well. Please continue to visit and support this web site http://nakedknitting2010.blogspot.com/
as it is a cause dear to all of our hearts.

I have finished my crochet chevron lacy cardigan. I am not a grey lover but I am sure it will become a useful addition to my wardrobe. I have more peacock tendencies when it comes to colour. Wave anything purple or deep jewel coloured my way and you have definitely got my attention. I guess I will never be a tastefully dressed kind of lady. Left to my own devices, fashion wise, I would waver between dressing like an ancient hippy complete with flowing skirts and granny square waistcoats and dressing like a lady of the night complete with corsets, stockings, black lace,velvet jackets and high heels. In reality, of course, I resemble a badly tied parcel, a bag lady with a hotch potch of style. Oh to be well groomed. I hope my niece will give me some input as to what I should wear for her sister's wedding or I could turn into Hyacinth Bucket (Bouquet) in my attempt to look tasteful.

I am off to stash dive for pink wool to make some flowers before I forage in my now well stocked fridge (thanks Julie for the lift to Tesco and rescuing me from having to eat the carpet as there was nowt in the house) to make something vaguely healthy for my dinner. Despite my existence this last week or so on fast food from the freezer and mountains of boiled sweets to calm the coughing I have managed to shift 5lbs from this overweight body. Only another 2 tons to go girls!

I will refrain from mentioning Valentines Day except to say that I suspect the postman has posted all of my cards through another door as usual and the florist's van had yet another breakdown on the way to my house. One day my prince will come (if they let him out of the home for the bewildered long enough)

Saturday 14 February 2009

Sarah Richards - A truly special lady







Yesterday was such a sad day. I learned that Sarah Richards had lost her battle with breast cancer.

Sarah was a founder member of the Knitting Noras and will be sadly missed. She had such a joie de vivre that was infectious to all who crossed her path. She brought such joy to all who knew her.

Although I have known her a shorter time than most of the Knitting Noras I can remember vividly the first time I tentatively went to my first Knit Out which was then at the Cafe Nero in Bolton. Not knowing what to expect I hovered on the doorstep to be called over by this very jolly lady saying you must be Jan - come on over and get a chair and sit down. I couldn't have been made more welcome.I used to jokingly call her "The bag lady" after this as my first impression was of a lady knitting surrounded by lots of carrier bags from which she produced at regular intervals balls of wool, magazines and needles for knitting club arrivals to view.

My overall memories of Sarah are always associated with laughter. Whenever she was at a meeting it was usually a noisy one filled with her witty chatter. Even when she was diagnosed with breast cancer her humour did not desert her and I have several of her newsy cancer update letters stored on my PC. She made fun of the fact she had lost her hair. Likening herself to Tank Girl and Beetle Juice and including photos of herself. Anyone who had the pleasure of meeting Sarah will remember her for the warmth, the love and the humour that she took with her through life.

The photos on here are "borrowed" from Flickr from Eadaoin and Sarah's photos. Some are from Larmer Tree festival where Sarah and some of the Knitting Noras had a great time, some from knit outs and the last photo is when Sarah was presented with Big Pink. That was a blanket made up of squares, with love, by the members of the Knitting Noras and christened Big Pink by Eadaoin as a code name when it was an undercover hush hush operation. I wasn't there at the presentation but I believe Sarah was very touched by it.

Lisa has dedicated the Knitted Landscape Garden, that I have mentioned in previous posts, to Sarah and that is on view from today at the Turnpike Gallery in Leigh. These are the words Lisa wrote prior to yesterday's sad news

"Our founder Sarah Richards was recently diagnosed with cancer, and is currently undergoing treatment. All her friends from The Knitting Noras pulled together and made a blanket for her from individually knitted pink squares. Every stitch was filled with love and we hope the blanket has kept her warm and given her some comfort at this difficult time. Sarah is not well enough at the moment to visit this latest exhibition of the Knitted Landscape, and we dedicate it to her.

The Knitting Noras’ latest project is to produce a Naked Knitting Calender for 2010 – and to donate proceeds to Christies Hospital, Manchester."

For those of you who never knew Sarah you missed the opportunity to meet a really genuine lady. She will be very sadly missed by those of us who did have the pleasure of her company. One of my last memories of her is her sitting at Vicky's house perched on a huge bean bag knitting a premature baby blanket for Bliss charity.She was entertaining us with her funny tales and I remember just hearing her laughing. Lisa has written some words about Sarah on our Naked Calendar web site which can be viewed by clicking on this blog title.

Farewell Sarah - you will be missed so much by us all.

Friday 13 February 2009

Strange looking crochet


My crochet today looks a little strange due to the fact that I like to crochet my sleeves before I crochet the body. I am sure it will look more cardigan like when I have finished the second sleeve and started to work the body once again.

Vicky popped in today with some wool for my next project. I can't say more than that at the moment as the person who it is intended for may read my blog and that would spoil the surprise. The next few days blog posts will probably be full of all kinds of things - but not that! I still have the chevron cardigan to finish of course but I will probably work a bit on each project as I do like variety.

I shall be clearing a big space on my window sill so that I will have room for all of my Valentines cards tomorrow. I suspect though that as per usual the postman will post all of mine through someone else's door and the florist will get the address wrong once again. Ha Ha I shall, no doubt, have to wait another year for a mystery admirer to pop a card in the post for me! The last time I got one was a few years ago when my friend's little boy decided that I should have one and sent it to me. Lovely thought but not quite the same thing.

As it was Friday the 13th I decided to take no risks and stayed home all day. Not that I am superstitious or anything. (Yeah right - I wrote that with my fingers crossed)

The doctor rang and said that he really doesn't know what else to try and if I am no better when I have finished these anti biotics then I have to see him on Monday. I do feel a little better today but not as well as I would have thought with 3 days anti biotics under my belt.

Thursday 12 February 2009

Chevron Lace Cardigan



I am feeling slightly better today. The chest X ray came back clear so the doctor was right I apparently don't have a chest infection as he first said. Quite what I do have is still a mystery but it does seem to be responding. albeit slowly, to the strong antibiotics. All I know is that I would not wish what I have had on anyone. I still feel rather weak and wobbly and have coughed so many times that my ribs ache. However I did manage to get some sleep last night. Not quality sleep in one stretch but nevertheless added together I did get a few hours.

As you know I have been trying to slowly diminish my wool stash. I am making this Chevron Lace cardigan with the rest of the grey wool left over from my niece's Christmas cardigan. I am not sure that grey is my colour but I am sure it will be a useful anytime any day cardigan. The good news is that the pattern is free and if you click on my blog title today then it will take you to the photo that I saw and loved.

I am still taking it easy today again so am sitting and doing some crochet. My feeling a bit better today has not extended to over exerting myself with a hoover or a duster. Well I don't want to take a backward turn - that's my excuse and I am sticking to it. Tomorrow is another day so they say.

Wednesday 11 February 2009

More crocheted Aran Sweaters













I will just put photos from the More crocheted Aran sweater book by Jane Sneddon Peever on my blog today.

Not much else to report except that my chest X rays have come back from the hospital but the doctor hasn't had time to take a look at them yet. I waited in all day (well I wasn't really up to doing anything else) but didn't get a phone call so I hope that tomorrow will bring some news.

I had another rough night of coughing and my voice still hasn't returned. I am on my third day of antibiotics and hoping for an improvement soon.

Enjoy the photos. I like this book and can see myself making quite a few garments from this book to ward of the winter chills. I do like the ornamental lacy crochet garments but sometimes a bit of warmth and practicality is what is needed.

Tuesday 10 February 2009

It's still quiet in my house





It's still quiet. My voice has not come back nor has the coughing ceased. It's day two of the antibiotics so fingers crossed that today will be a better one.

I finished off the super chunky shawl. I had to add the toning plain colour as the shawl would not have been big enough with just the random colour. I decided against the fringing as it tends to get a bit scraggy with washing and went with a shell border instead.

I ordered some DVD's for my brother's birthday from Amazon and this crochet Aran Sweater book fell into my basket accidentally on purpose. I really like the look of the contents as I don't always want my crochet to be openwork and decorative. I will take photos of the contents and post them tomorrow.

Zuleika from Life in the Zu has given me an award which I will pass on when I work out what I am supposed to do. I will plead tiredness today due to lack of sleep and try to work it out tomorrow.