Avid Odd Ball Crocheter

I think that I have found my niche in life. I get immense satisfaction from turning part balls of wool into something. It seems to give me greater pleasure than buying expensive wool and turning out a garment. I think it's my background of make do and mend. Re-using things until they drop to pieces. They say that you learn from your background and mine was certainly frugal in many ways. My mother could turn out a great meal out of bits of nothing, Sadly I didn't inherit her culinary skills but I must have her genes for the crafting.
My aunt was a tailoress and used to unpick and remodel clothes. She was very popular during the war years when clothing was scarce. She would take the good parts from adults dresses or skirts and make things for me out of them.

This little jacket that I have just finished is once again the free cardigan pattern by Rindy Carpenter but made larger. The main part of the wool is Magi-Knit DK from James C Brett shade YW2 which has all the lovely shades of Autumn. I eked out the wool with oddments of gold ,green and brown. My oddment jackets aren't meant for 'best' but just for useful extra warmth for playtime or night time.

I had a couple of nice surprises today. the first was my copy of Interweave Crochet Summer 2010. I love the cover Midsummer Night's Shawl by Lisa Naskrent. Like the Kristen Omdahl patterns it is done in Laceweight but on a 4.25 hook which is not a UK size so I will have to work out whether to use a 4mm or a 4,50mm hook. The pattern looks quite complicated but is actually only a 4 row pattern so I might have a try at the pattern stitch as I do like the shawl. I will take more photos of the magazine tomorrow. There is an openwork shawl in Tunisian that you might like Bev. One day I will master it. I wish that I lived closer to Bev and could join her Tunisian lessons.

My second nice surprise was that not only did my neighbours cut my hedge for me they offered to walk Buster. I wasn't sure that he would go but he is used to their two dogs. He actually went with them. Admittedly he didn't stay out with them long but he did come back puffing and panting so at least he got some exercise. He is getting rather bored with me and my ball throwing so it was nice for him to have a walk, I think that he will be glad to see my son tomorrow. When he got home he barked like fury to let me know that the ice cream cart was on it's way. I swear that he can hear the chimes a few blocks away.I would have taken a photo of him eating his cornet but it was gone before I could get the camera out. He then sat and waited to eat the rest of my ice cream.

I haven't done any crochet or knitting today so far. I have been busy with other things. I had an old friend contact me on Facebook and we exchanged a few to and fro messages and caught up with some news. We drifted apart some years ago, for no particular reason as people do sometimes, and so it's nice to hear from her again.

Coffee time now and I think that I will browse in my patterns to find something small to make until Buster goes home tomorrow eve and then I can start on the Laceweight.

Pink Crochet Baby Jacket

I do love crocheting baby clothes - especially ones for baby girls. This jacket isn't destined for any particular baby. A friend of mine fosters babies, as does a friend of hers so one day one of them will get a little girl baby (I hope) Much as I love little boys it isn't quite the same thrill crocheting or knitting for them. The pattern for this jacket is one of Kay Jones number 199 and is made from 100 grams of Robin Bonny Babe DK. The pattern has a matching beanie but as I only had 100 grams I didn't have enough to make that as well. I like working with Kay's patterns as they use UK terms and I don't have to convert with every line. I have placed a link to her site in the blog title. Take a look at her site she does adult patterns as well as baby and children's crochet patterns.

Today I got a lift to the Knitting Noras in my niece's new car. Oh the luxury of a lovely comfy ride instead of dragging myself on the metro and the bus. My knees have been particularly bad this week so I would have had to give the Knit Out a miss if not for a lift. My niece has offered to take me to the Kings Arms knit club tomorrow night so I am a very lucky lady this week.I wasn't able to get to the Islington Mill knit out yesterday as I still have Buster and I didn't think that it was fair to leave him on his own for hours two days together plus the fact that I would have had a metro trip and a bus trip both directions. If I had one good knee I would buy myself a little scooter and scoot my way up to the tram station as it is the walk to and from there that really kills my knees. That would be a sight for sore eyes. Fat lady on a kid's scooter flying up the road with knitting bags on the handlebars!

I gave my niece her Ugg type crochet boots as she will be away for her birthday. I told her that I am making her something else but as it is on hold because of Buster hair then she will get it later. I didn't tell her what it is as I don't want to spoil the surprise. It won't take me that long to finish it once Buster has gone back home.

The couple who live across the road were enquiring why I had Buster as they know that I can't walk him and I was explaining about his injuries. He is raring to go out for a walk but I can't put a collar on him as yet. Bernie offered to walk him for me as she has a harness for her dog which will not go anywhere near his neck wounds. She said that she will take him for a short walk on a long lead on Tuesday. I just hope that he will go with her.He is a funny dog. Very clingy. We can only try. If he is on a lead then he won't be able to go into the water but will be able to run a bit free on the extending lead.

I have started crocheting another baby cardigan in lilac from the new crochet book that I like. I will post photos of it once it is finished.

Guard Dog on Duty

Buster here. I am waiting for my walk which doesn't look like it is happening anytime soon. Gran is having a whinge about her knee hurting her after walking me yesterday. She is such an old grump. Did I moan when she woke me twice in the night screaming in pain when I accidentally lay on her knee? I can't help being a sturdy kind of guy. If she took me out then I could walk off my breakfast. If I sit here and give her one of my baleful looks and big sighs that might work.

I have been a free guard dog for her since I got here. Protecting the house from marauding paper girls and postmen who keep putting unwanted bits of paper through our letterbox. I lie on the sofa, looking asleep with my ball, in wait until I hear a noise, then I am on full alert looking out of the window until I see an unsuspecting passer by. I had a laugh yesterday when I scared the papergirl half to death. I waited until she had put the paper half way in the letterbox and then I leapt on the chair and barked up a storm. Boy did she jump high!

Gran is whinging again something about dog hair on her crochet. I am glad she has moved those square things. I nearly poked my eye out on one of the pins she used to put them on this board thing. Silly place to put a board when I am galloping about chasing a ball. I am glad she has moved it into the corner. Now she is saying that she only has 7 more squares to crochet and will I be a good dog whilst she makes them. Ha I might be if you take me out for a walk Gran.

My pouting seems to be working I can see that she is feeling guilty now and is revving up to take me out. I can't wait to chase a stick and roll in the smelly stream then come in and jump on the cream sofa before she has time to clean my feet. What fun. It's a dog's life!

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.