Drum roll and sounds of cheers

Ta da! Ta Da! I feel like taking a bow. Kevin's aran is FINISHED! Wow it has to be the longest time I have ever had a garment on the needles. I can honestly say that I have hated every moment of it and can now relax and do some knitting that I enjoy. Well at least I can after I have finished his matching hat! I must be a glutton for punishment but I just can't bear to see a ball of matching wool left over. My genes won't allow me to ignore it when it would make a lovely hat. Maybe some wrist warmers as well? Now I am just being silly and getting carried away.

I actually managed to persuade my digi camera to take a photo of the aran. My house is rather gloomy so it is not represented in the best of lights but never the less it's another Ta Da for me. Usually when I take photos and check them later nothing has happened. Maybe technology is creeping up on me slowly?

I am off to Ramsbottom craft shop tomorrow to hopefully choose some nice wool for my niece's cardigan (or sweater I am relying on my other niece to choose for her) so the sparks will once again be flying off my needles as I still have quite a few things to make before Christmas.

Today I must do a Tesco shop ( I have a £5.50p voucher to soften the pain), get my flu jab (ouch) and fit another dog walk in before dusk. I was thinking about doing some housework but it is such a thankless task. I am not a particularly tidy person as anyone who knows me well will testify so I have to tidy before I can dust and hoover. When I have tidied I then I can't find anything so everything comes out again until I find what I am looking for so I am back to cluttered again. I am thinking of investing in a set of basket trays in shelves for my craft (messy) corner. I have a nest of baskets at the moment but I have to take the top baskets off to sort through the bottom boxes so it wasn't exactly my best idea. I may get one of those plastic 3 container toy boxes on wheels then I could at least make some attempt to tidy it into the pantry when I am expecting guests etc.

Maybe I will just make a coffee and knit some more on the hat whilst I contemplate.

Knitmaster or mistress?

I have reflected on my knitting machine and decided that as I think of it as female it should be re-named Knitmistress. I wonder how come it was named Knitmaster in the first place? I am not saying that men cannot use a knitting machine just that in general it is the ladies who have the patience to coax these machines into co-operation. My day has been a little hectic today so I decided that I will give the mistress a miss today. Thanks Susan for the comment on my last post. I will indeed look at the sponge bar. (I could say is that where Sponge Bob drinks but that would just be too silly!)

I have also discovered small spots of possibly rust on some of the needles so think I should give them a little rub with a fine emery sandpaper as that also could be contributing to the problem causing them to stick a little on their journey up and down as the carriage passes by. Methinks the mistress is demanding a little TLC before she agrees to co-operate.

I went back to knitting by hand last night. Kevin's suit of armour (sorry Kevin's aran sweater) is progressing slowly. I have reached the armhole shaping and as you can see from the pattern it is a raglan sleeve so hopefully I should finish the back tonight. The eagle eyed will have noticed that the pattern is a cardigan but I am adapting it into a V neck sweater. I will have to do a bit of math for the neck shaping. The pattern book is very well loved and full of Sellotape. I would say I have had very good value from Patons paying two and six (25p) for it originally. Over the years I have made about 6 of the designs from it.

I am also making a shorty cream aran cardigan for my friend Caroline (sister of Kevin) and have so far just knitted one of the fronts . The pattern has bobbles on it but I have missed them off. Last time I made this cardigan, with bobbles, 2 of them were positioned inappropriately in the bosom area and I spent half the time when I wore it adjusting the fronts of the cardigan to move them off the spot so to speak! I didn't want to inflict this problem onto Caroline so this time have omitted the offending bobbles altogether.

I got my tax disc for the demolition derby car so I will be able to drive it from tomorrow. I haven't been able to drive it since I got it as I won't use it unless I am totally street legal. I haven't even been around the block ( well I have been around the block more times than I care to mention but the car hasn't!) so tomorrow I will be testing it out.

My niece got a call from the police in Bolton. They have got her purse. She had it stolen from her bag on Sunday whilst shopping. She had driven me up to the Knit Out in the Cafe Nero as my car wasn't legal so I feel really bad about it. I don't know any more details as yet. Whether her credit cards were still there or where they found it. She has to go and pick it up.

I would have liked to go to the Halloween Spooktacula in the local park tonight but no-one locally is going and I don't fancy going on my own. I will stay home and comfort the dog as he goes crazy when kids knock on the door trick or treating. I have bought a bag of toffee lollipops just in case the kids do call although a lot of them are wary of my big barking dog.