Hole In My Sock

I mentioned yesterday that I had put my toe through my hand knitted socks. I managed to unpick the toe and re knit it with some spare wool. Sorry the photos are a bit fuzzy but the hole has now gone and the toe although a slightly darker colour is back to normal. It was a bit awkward to unpick and re knit the toe but I thought that it would look better than a darn. Thank goodness they were top down socks and I was able to unpick the grafting, take out the damaged rows and re knit it again.

I finished off the garter stitch scarf for the homeless. Not my best project as I was working with three strands knitted together and I kept finding out that I had only knitted two strands and had left a loop behind. That's the trouble with knitting a dark colour in the electric light and watching TV at the same time. The wool was donated by Marie and she was right - it is itchy. If you see a homeless person in Manchester itching his head and neck and he is wearing something navy then it will be the hat and one of the scarves that I have made with this wool.

I still have some red and brown so I will be crocheting another itchy scarf with the two colours worked together tonight.I will be glad when I can move on to just using one strand of wool again.

This afternoon I have to go to see the GP about my leg eczema and to update him with my operation news. I didn't sleep much last night because of the pain in my knees so I am going to ask for a change of pain killer medication. I have not slept properly since I had the arthoscopy last February and I am getting very tired and feel so down through the lack of sleep. The dark and dreary weather doesn't help to lift my mood nor does the fact that next door's cat sneaked in again and has left me with an untraceable aroma once again. I am going to have to stop going outside after dark as that must be when he sneaks in. Last night I remembered that I hadn't put the dustbin out. The refuse men came very early so it's a good job that I remembered to put it out.I staggered downstairs in the early hours in pain to be greeted by an awful smell and the cat asleep in the middle of the sofa.

Thanks to everyone for your kind wishes and helpful advice. Thank you Ana Luisa from Mexico for your comments. Crafty Diane - I am having knee replacements. I am afraid that I sort of stick my fingers in my ears and go la la la when they start talking about metal spikes and plastic bits. I will leave that to the surgeon. I have to go for a pre-operative meeting in March so I will probably get told in more detail then. I know that they have to run through all of the risks that can happen to me with the surgery but I just wish to remain in ignorance about the mechanics of it all. If I started to think of the risks of infection, blood clots and anaesthesia then it would put me off. Instead I will just put my faith in the surgeon and pray that he does the best job that he can.

Granny square shawl finished

Vicky's granny square shawl is finished. Well finished is perhaps the wrong word to use as you can see from the last photo. There is still the spaghetti mess of tail ends to stitch in. I am hoping that Vicky will volunteer to stitch them in herself as the one thing I am bad at is sewing ends in. On my shawl I find new tails poking out every time I put it on. I think I stitch them in well run them in and out and up and down and yet still they wriggle out and poke out of the squares. I guess I missed the lesson on stitching up somewhere in my youth. I think that is why I now like Doris Chan designs - so little to stitch up when finished.

I didn't go out today as I had to wait in for a telephone consultation one of my GP's. Yesterday when I checked the contents of my prescription bag the painkillers were missing. I checked with the pharmacy who said there were none on the prescription. I rang the surgery to be told that I had ordered them too soon so the doctor refused to issue them. I tried to explain that yes I wasn't due them on the Friday when I ordered them but due to their 48 hour policy for repeats it meant that I could not collect them until Tuesday after 2pm (they don't count Sat and Sun as days as they are closed) which to me means 4 days after I ordered them so by then I would not be receiving them too soon. They tried to tell me they consider the date to be when they are ordered and signed and not the date that they are collected. I said well in that case why could I not get them until Tuesday if it was signed? Surely you should consider the date to be the issue date and not the date ordered. Anyway they would not issue me with another prescription today until I had spoken to the GP who said "I don't see what the problem is - why did they not issue you with a prescription. What you are saying seems valid to me. Come back and I will sign one for you now" Grrrr

I bet the GP who refused to issue me a prescription has never had spinal surgery. I am now on a lot less strength painkillers and am reducing the daily amount I take. I said to the GP if I was going to overdose myself surely I would have done it when I was in chronic pain, depressed and on very strong drugs and not now when my life is going well and I am confident of eventual surgery success.

I am hoping to get up to Bolton market tomorrow to find the wool stall that is usually on Chorley market. I need to get some man colours for socks for Christmas. I must resolve not to be tempted by anything other than what I need as I already have so much in stash and the next couple of things I have to make are knitted garments for my niece once the wool arrives. I doubt if I will have any time to make anything for myself between now and Christmas.