Sneaking A Bit of Crochet

Yes, I know that I said I would knit some more on Charlie's jacket. I did. I finished off the first sleeve. After that I succumbed to the call of the hook. I did try to resist but as I have absolutely no willpower at all (hence the sylph like body but that's another story) I gave in and started to crochet a matinee jacket.

It is another of Kay Jones patterns and as you can see it goes up to a child's size so it's a useful pattern as the girl babies grow older. As I am making this for a soon to arrive foster baby I am going to edge it with pale green so that at a pinch a little boy can wear it. I know it is a bit girly with the ties and the lacy pattern but a newborn can wear it. I might possibly just leave the ties off and fasten it with a button to make it more unisex. I will ask the foster Mum when I get to that stage.

I have just come back from a shopping trip up to the village. I cling to Ivy, my 4 wheeled shopping trolley, for stability and balance. She is called Ivy after the lady who gave it to me. It is rather battered but it does the job. Ivy, the person, used it up to getting worse at walking and she had to progress to an electric wheelchair. When she heard on Freecycle that I was asking if anyone had a spare trolley she kindly gave me her old one.It has been the best thing that I have ever got from Freecycle.Nowadays I don't have a car so although I look on Freecycle I don't get anything anymore as I cannot pick it up. I stay a member as sometimes I have things that I want to give away.

My freezer is full again as I am just not in the mood these days to prepare meals from scratch. I know that it is bad for me and no good for my figure but I do tend to take the easy route as far as food is concerned.

Time for a coffee and to put my feet up and find something non political to watch on the TV. I hate the requiems that they have after an election. They go over and over the same ground and I find it all so boring. What has happened cannot be changed so let's just get on with things. All the discussions in the world won't change anything.

Kings Arms Knit Club 2nd Anniversary

I took some mindless garter stitch knitting with me to the Knitting Noras Knit Out on Sunday as I have learned that I can't do an aran pattern and chat at the same time. This blanket is more of a pram or bassinet size 25" x 25". I used 200 grams of James C Brett Quick and Easy Fashion Chunky. Rather a misnomer as far as I am concerned as I had to switch my needles to wooden ones and change the size. With plastic needles the yarn made static and it stuck to the needles making it very slow going indeed. The second ball worked up better than the first as I managed to find the centre pull. I don't know why but I aways find yarn easier to use from the centre. I cast on 60 sts with 6 1/2mm needles. I decided to edge it in white crochet as it looked rather unfinished with just a plain garter stitch edge. I crocheted a circle and added ears to make some kind of animal. I think I was aiming for a Teddy Bear shape. I have not decided which of the baby boys will be the recipient of this blanket. I do have several more balls in the same wool and colour so I can make a second blanket although I may change the pattern stitch to something a little more interesting than boring garter stitch.

I have finished the back of Charlie's second aran jacket. I am making a 20-22 this time hoping that with the smaller size and less intricate pattern I will have enough yarn as I had slightly less than a half 400 gram ball left from his last jacket.

Buster is here and has settled in nicely. I didn't get any sleep last night as not only was my knee aching I had forgotten what it is like too share a bed with a bull boxer who likes to sleep spread out across the bed. His favourite position is with his head tucked in the crook of my neck breathing loudly in my ear which as you can imagine isn't conducive to a good night's sleep. He is, at the moment, ridding my sofas of every cushion so the front room looks like a pillow fight. He has a hatred of cushions and perceives them as enemies to be dealt with at all cost. He banished the throws to the floor within 10 mins of his arrival. Hopefully he will sleep whilst I am out. I managed to walk him this afternoon and he went back into his normal routine of stick throwing followed by a half hour in the stream chewing the same stick to shreds. No matter how long the gap is between his visits to me he follows the exact same pattern and the same timing as when he lived here.

Tonight I am going to the Kings Arms Knit meeting. As it is the 2nd anniversary of it's conception we are going to a Chinese Banquet instead of to the Kings Arms tonight. I don't think that I will be taking my knitting there unless I decide to start another mindless pram blanket. I doubt if much aran knitting will be done tonight.

Charlie's Aran Cardigan is Finished

I have finished Charlie's aran cardigan. I weighed the rest of the ball and I think there is just about enough to make another jacket or a sweater if I chose a less dense pattern stitch. The yarn is Woolcraft Aran 400 gram ball and 100% Courtelle. I appear to have used just a fraction over half of the ball on this jacket so I hope that I have enough for a second garment. The colour is slightly darker than it appears on my photos and is more of a light navy blue.

The Naked Knitting calendar continues to be well supported on Ravelry forums for which we are very grateful and Deb has chatted to the lady who owns Stash yarn shop and she wants 50 copies to sell in her shop and online for us. She has agreed to give us the full amount of each calendar price which is brilliant considering that banking charges would occur if anyone pays by credit card or Paypal as both of these charge a fee for their services. Bev and her husband have been a terrific team selling loads of copies so well done to them also. If sales continue in this way then we will be ordering a reprint soon! Stash don't as yet have any copies for you to buy so at the moment they are only available through our web site and listed shops in the Horwich area with one London outlet. Click on the blog title to keep up with the latest news about the Knitting Noras.

I am going up to Bolton tomorrow for our regular monthly Sunday Knit Out at the Costa Coffee. I missed the last one as I was away on the mystery weekend for my neighbour Julie's 40th birthday. Remember the mystery was ending up in battle scarred Hull? When I come back home Buster is arriving for a week. So next week I will be able to say that I am sleeping with a boxer! Don't all get too excited. I haven't found a Prince Charming. Buster is a boxer cross who is the family dog. Sometimes he lives with me but mostly with my son and daughter in law and their other dog these days as since my back and knee operations I haven't been able to care for him walk wise. I don't think it's fair to keep an animal and not exercise it regularly.

My knitting has been going wonderfully well since I changed from the energy saving bulbs to normal light bulbs. I have got an angle poise desk lamp but I find that the halogen bulb gets extremely hot and the light is so bright that it hurts my eyes as well as burning my hands if the lamp is angled over them.I have joked that I will buy a miner's helmet with a light on it especially for when I go to the Kings Arms Knit Club as the light is rather dim in the snug and I can only knit or crochet very light colours in there.

I am off to delve once more into my pattern stash to find another pattern for Charlie to use up the rest of the navy wool. I will start something for Fynnlay James after that but he does have plenty clothes at the moment so there is no rush for him. I have some pale blue Hayfield chunky that I might make another blanket with for him.

Chuffed to Bits - Calendar on Doris Chan's blog

For those of you who don't understand my blog title. Chuffed to bits in another way as saying pleased as Punch or really happy. Why am I so happy? Doris Chan has not only ordered one of our Naked Knitting Calendars but she has posted us on her blog ! (Click on blog title) and also left me a couple of messages. She has recognised her designs on the calendar's front cover and on my calendar page.Wow what an honour. For those of you who may not know Doris Chan is a world famous crochet designer who designed one of the most famous crochet shawls ever - Blue Curacao. As you know I absolutely love this pattern and have made it many times. Strangely I don't actually own one of these shawls so the next one that I make must be for me!

If you don't own a Doris Chan book then all I can say is why not? Her Everyday Crochet book has to be my all time favourite and I have lost count of the many garments I have made from it. The Amazing Crochet Lace book is home to the Blue Curacao shawl pattern. I must admit that I did struggle a little with my first garment but that was before I discovered the Doris Chan forums on Ravelry where everyone is so helpful and Doris Chan also steps in to explain things when people have queries. What better service could you get than that. A designer who actually cares if you understand her patterns or not. Her garments are worked top down and in the round and so it takes a bit of getting used to at first but now I love the fact that they are so comfortable to wear and the best part is no seaming and very little sewing in any of her garments plus the fact that I can try garments on in progress and make adjustments from one size to another size if needed. The bonus for me is that she gives adjustment rows for us boob heavy ladies to give that extra fit across the front.

Charlie's aran is almost finished now. Just got the bands to make and of course the stitching up. Then I think it's a blue baby blanket next for his new baby brother Fynnlay.

Thanks for your comments Lynn. Come and visit the Knitting Noras one day and there will be someone there to help you get started with your knitting.

It's A Boy

I have had to put away all thoughts of girly pink crochet once again. Fynnlay James was born around 6am this morning. I don't know any more details except that Louise managed a natural delivery this time as she had hoped after the traumatic emergency C section with Charlie 16 months ago.

I shall be starting little blue things as soon as I have finished Charlie's aran cardigan. I have started one of the fronts. The sleeves were easily made as they are just in double moss stitch so I did those whilst watching Midsomer Murders last night. Getting rid of those energy saving light bulbs has been the best thing that has happened recently. I honestly thought that I was losing my eyesight or getting cataracts. I might make a little beanie or weigh the wool to see if I have enough for another plainer cardigan or sweater with the remainder of the big ball of Aran. Might as well make sure that Charlie has enough woollies for the winter.I will keep any other garments back and put them with his Christmas present as they will still be plenty big enough then.I always make aran designs on the bigger side so that the child can get at least 12 months out of it. They are sturdy enough to be used as a jacket for cooler days in the summer months. I always kept an aran in the car when Ian was growing up for the days when it went unexpectedly cold.

I went shopping this morning and just came back in time to see the couple across the road bringing home baby Zac (or Zak I must enquire) I didn't get to see the baby as by the time I had walked down the street they had gone into the house. I forgot to buy any birth congratulation cards so I will have to get them tomorrow. I will hopefully get a peep at him sometime later in the week once the family has settled down a bit. I don't believe is visiting a new baby until a few days have passed. I remember being bombarded with visitors when my son was born and being so tired that I wished they would all just go home so I always bear this in mind and just pop in and pop out with my first visit to a new baby.

Not much progress to report today

I seem to be knitting away merrily but not really making a lot of headway. I have finished the body and 2 sleeves of the jacket for baby Charlie (sorry about the dark photo) and a few more rows on the red Cinnabar. It now has 5 rows on one sleeve done (not seen on the photo. I haven't finished the body yet so quite why I decided to start a sleeve I am not sure. I guess it's the wacky in me that likes to do things out of sequence.

Today I decided to do a bit of pre Christmas food shopping so I went into Iceland for a few bits and came staggering out with a trolley full. Why do we always think that masses of people are going to descend on us demanding food? I am going to my brother's house for Christmas dinner so I can't even use the excuse of catering for the family. When I came to unpack I seem to have lots of biscuits, a bottle of wine and some brandy and some pseudo Irish cream and not a lot in the way of actual food unless I can count the bags of chips, onion rings and Yorkshire puddings as food. The daft thing is that I will be there in Tesco filling my trolley again before the weekend with fresh food as heaven forbid that I forget to buy some sprouts!

When I weigh 2 stones heavier after Christmas will you remind me that I bought those biscuits in case people called and not as an excuse to eat them all myself. Hmm I must remember to buy a box of crackers and some cheese just in case. Oh boy I can foresee some serious dieting in the New Year and I didn't have to look in a crystal ball to deduce that!

I am going to try to put a spurt on tonight and finish off the hood and pockets for Charlie's jacket and then I can say another gift it finished.

Guess what I have been doing today?

Well as you can see from the photos I definitely haven't been doing any housework! Yes I have been out in the garden all day working on my tan. The only trouble is I sit on a chair and only the front of me is getting a tan. The backs of my legs are as white as milk bottles! I think I will be rubbing in a bit of gradual tanning lotion on them after my shower.

Tomorrow it may be dull and I can hoover then. I made a little cap to match the jacket for Charlie last night. The striped jacket is a bigger size jacket that I crocheted last year waiting for a little boy to be born, It is actually denim blue and white but the sun makes it look 2 shades of blue. It is made in Patons Classic Cotton DK. The pale blue that I used for Charlie's jacket was either Sirdar Snuggly or Hayfield Babykin 4ply ( the label was missing)

The two shots of black crochet are firstly the results of last night's crochet (plus pattern) and the larger version is how it looks after a day crocheting in the garden. Buster of course thinks I sit in the garden purely to throw his ball around so I would have done a lot more except I did about 10 balls throws to every row! I am tackling the Doris Chan book again. Now I have got the hang of her ideas I am sort of doing some of hers and a lot of mine. I will show you the finished item later. Mine will not be as loose and bed jackety looking as the pattern. I am crocheting it from a huge ball of acrylic that I partly used so I am doing a bit of the back a bit of one sleeve and now the second sleeve. Just to see how the yarn will spin out. it might finish up with shorter body length and shorter sleeves. I am not a yarn snob with crochet as it doesn't seem to rub up and pill as knitting does. If I use a cheap yarn for knitting then I can tell but with crochet it doesn't seem to matter especially with shawls. I find I don't wear crochet as often as knitteds as I feel they are too fancy to walk the dog and clean.

My niece called around after work and picked up her toe socks and Charlie's jackets. The socks fitted her perfectly as she didn't inherit the wonky toes that I have. I have told her that I will finish off the 2 pairs of ordinary socks that she has started and thrown by the wayside. She has decided that she doesn't do heels or toes. She was also impressed with my Doris Chan partly completed jacket that I tried on for her and with the other patterns in the book that has promised that I shall be Doris Channing for her whilst I am recuperating!

The baby books I got from Amazon yesterday were a little out of the ordinary. I will post some photos later. I think they are better suited to girls although there are a couple of items that will suit Charlie once he is older. The Boho knits has very little in it that I would actually knit. Note to Vicky - Perran might like the knitted pair of fairy wings!

The hats I was making for B will get posted to him tomorrow so I can show you the photos later. I know he sometimes reads my blog and I don't like to spoil surprises.

I love packages in the post

I love packages that come in the post. I was about to write today's blog when the doorbell went and there was 2 packages for me on the doormat. The first was the books I ordered from Amazon with the e vouchers that I earned filling in questionnaires online. I was going to read them in the garden but it seems to be blowing a gale outside even though the sun is shining. I hope this is not the end of the sunshine. I will let you know my thoughts about the books tomorrow.

The second package was not quite as exciting as you can see from the last photo. It is my new mask for my new CPAP machine that I got the other week. I go to bed wearing this every night so now you know why my single status is not about to change anytime soon. Not exactly alluring night time attire is it? I have asked for it in black leather but so far I have had no success and just get boring blue stretch fabric straps.

The other photos are of Charlie's little jacket. Although crochet I hope that it looks suitably boyish. I am going to make a matching beanie with the wool that I have left over. The pattern didn't have one, just odd looking huge mitts which I doubt any baby would ever wear, so I will have to wing him a hat to match.

I have been making some adult beanies for my friend in London and have almost finished them. I will photograph them later. I had intended to photograph my sock wool stash for Ravelry yesterday but the sun distracted me and I sat around crocheting instead. I knew the weather would change soon so I am glad that I didn't do it.

The housework continues to stay undone. I don't care if my house is a little messy. we have so little good weather that I intend to make the most of it. Chores can wait for a dull day. There is only me to please and Buster doesn't care if I don't hoover and dust for a few days.

The wind has dropped a little so I am off into the garden with a coffee to read my new baby books.