Knitting New Mittens and Gloves

One of my books from Amazon arrived today. I was ordering books and a DVD for Christmas presents when my hand accidentally hovered and then pressed add to basket on a couple of books for myself. My Tapestry Crochet book is still to arrive but this one came today. Knitting New Mittens and Gloves by Robin Melanson (click on Blog title for more details)My excuse it that the pair of lacy gloves on the front cover would be ideal, in black, for my daughter in law and there are several others in there that would suit her also. Not that there is any in there for me - Hee hee.I do lie so beautifully at times!

The last photo is my birthday pressie from Vicky. I shall enjoy the heady perfume of the Lush shower gel and reading my quote of the day from Stephanie Pearl McPhee in 2009.

My crochet progressed a little more last night and I am on the second sleeve now. The February sweater is progressing also and now has one completed sleeve and a couple of patterns on the second. I really like this and am tempted to finish it for my Christmas sweater and make the intended person something else as a gift. Well it not as if she knew it was for her and I will have balls of wool in the same colour left over! I had debated between 2 patterns for her anyway so I will just make her the other one. I am in a naughty mood this week. First I add books for me to my Amazon order and now I am high jacking presents! Turning 63 hasn't done me any good at all!

I am hoping to go to the Knitty Noras knitting club tomorrow and thankfully I have a lift as our group usually take any new books to the club so that everyone can have a browse. I will have 5 to take so would be rather loaded up on public transport.

Dark wet Sunday weather

Apologies for the very dark photo of Buster but today's weather is filthy and dark. We woke up to a bit of snow being washed away by rain. I hate this dark dismal weather. I am sure that I suffer from the SAD syndrome in a mild form as this kind of weather really affects my mood. I find it so hard to be cheerful on a day such as today.

Buster is still not a happy doggy. He clings to my ankles as if I am going to disappear at any moment. Yesterday he was very naughty he cocked his leg at the door and started to relieve himself. He got scolded for that and put outside for a few minutes.He has never done that at my house before so I think it's a sign of distress. I have enjoyed his company but walking him for the last 2 days has played havoc with my back and knee so I am hoping that my son will want to take him home again after his weekend away. I thought that I was making good progress with my back but I think I need a course of physio before I can regain full mobility. I will ask at the hospital on the 26th. I am going to get them to take another look at the X rays of my knee as it is far from healed and still twice the size that it should be.

My crochet is still progressing I am on the second front of the cabled cardigan. I am knitting the February sweater in between to lessen the strain in my wrists. There is not much to show at the moment as I am still on the garter stitch yoke. If you click on the title of the blog you will be able to see what is should look like when it is finished. It's a free pattern by the way and I know. like me, that you like a free pattern.

The sun is feebly trying to shine and it looks like the rain has stopped so I think I should get out of my PJ's and take Buster out before it all goes dark and dismal again.

My niece came yesterday to give my hair roots a top up so I can appear in public again without the aid of a hat to cover up the dark roots! At my time of life I should be going grey or white and then I wouldn't have such a big problem. My mother didn't go grey until she was in her 70's so I must have got her genes. My brother is just starting to go grey now and he is almost 72.

My baby is back home

As you can see Buster is back home but it may be only temporary. He barely knew me when he came through the door. Not the ecstatic welcome I had been expecting. He is not settling and was glued to the window looking for my son to come back and get him until it went dark and I closed the curtains. As you can see from his face he is a sad doggy.

I took him for a walk this afternoon and although he seemed to remember where everything was he was a very subdued dog. None of the excitement that he used to show chasing a stick and paddling in the stream. He did all of these things but seemed rather lack lustre. I think he misses having my son's dog Skye to walk and play with him. He just plodded along behind me instead of dashing ahead with his tail pluming as he used to.

I have him until Sunday so I will have to see how he is for the next couple of days. I was looking forward to having him home again but I don't want him to be miserable. I think he prefers to be in a family home with another dog.

Crochet is progressing slowly as I have been preoccupied getting to know Buster once again. I am knitting in between the crochet to rest the wrist, I have started the February sweater which is an adult version of Elizabeth Zimmerman's baby matinee. Nothing much to show at the moment as I am on the garter stitch yolk and the work is bunched up on the needles as it is worked from the top down. I can't knit on circular needles so I think the stitches are going to get very cramped before I increase to the correct amount of stitches.