Another Christmas present finished!

I have finished a shortie crochet cardigan for my friend Caroline for Christmas. She is such a slim little thing that it seems to take no time at all to make anything for her. There is no pattern as I just made it up as I went along using her forgotten cardigan as a template. I really must sort out my digital camera as the cardi is a rather gorgeous shade of cornflower blue and my camera has turned it into another dirgy bluey grey colour. For some reason my camera does not like blue or purple shades. Turns them all to grey!

I have finished the first sleeve of Kevin's aran and done 32 pattern rows on sleeve number 2 so am on the countdown to hopefully finishing it this week. I love it when I am on the final stretch of anything makes me want to knit faster and faster! I can't stick at it so I will find another project from my Christmas list to start tomorrow.

The first layer of the M&S chocolates has also disappeared. I have tried to ration them out but they are just so yummy that I get tempted. I can't see the next layer lasting long either! I rarely buy chocolates for myself and it's probably as well as I just can't leave them alone if anyone buys them for me. I have put my bunch of flowers on the coffee table where I can see them most of the time. They don't last that long so while they are fresh I want to see them at their best.

I turned down going to Fibre and Clay at the weekend as I didn't think I wanted anything and so now I am going to have to go to Ramsbottom for some wool to use for my niece and her husband. Of all the yarns I already have I can't see any suitable colours in the right amount for what I have in mind. Isn't it always the way? I have managed to make 2 gifts from my stashed yarn so I don't feel too bad.

Kamrin - I am so glad that you too understand my joy at the birthday gift of a sock book. I love books and I browse all the time on the net for the latest crochet books. I do wish they would give more photos of the book contents as I can only afford the odd book now and again and so would like one with at least 3 or 4 things in it that I know I will make. My local library is useless and I have tried browsing the cache of the other local libraries via the library's facilities and have come to the conclusion that the people who order the books in Bury obviously are not crafters in any shape or form. The choice is pitiful. I went into Waterstones in Bury and they had 2 knitting books (both basic how to knit books) and I got told "We don't have any call for knitting books as people buy them on the net" I said people probably do that because you don't have any !!

What a great day!

I had a wonderful birthday. Quite the best one I can remember in a very long time. Not because of the presents (which were very useful welcome ones) but the fact I had family and friends around me most of the day. For someone who spends 90% of her time alone (well apart from the dog) it was a day to remember.

First visitors were my brother and his wife who bought me a lovely warm hooded coat (pictured right on the photo) who stayed for about an hour. Next came my friend Caroline with her son who bought me the Sock Book pictured plus the chocolates and a bunch of flowers. Her husband couldn't quite believe that anyone would want a sock book as a present but I did and it was most gratefully received. I will certainly be making use of it once the Christmas knitting/crochet is out of the way. Whilst my friend was here my niece arrived with my present of some walking boots and then to fill up the house my son, his wife and their dog arrived. They bought me a much needed set of waterproofs for my dog walking (pictured left on the photo). They then took the two dogs out for a walk which freed me up from the second walk of the day. Much as I love Buster I was glad of the break. Everyone stayed for a couple of hours.

I ran Caroline home as she had gleaned some hanging files for my filing cabinet. She rescued them from the discarded pile at her work. They had updated the filing system so they were obsolete to them. They were only too glad of her taking them away and I was overjoyed to receive them for free. I will have quite a bit of work to do this week filing my personal stuff in one drawer and all my knit and crochet patterns in the other 3 drawers. Well what else does one use a filing cabinet for?

I am off now to sample my chocolates and have a drink to toast my Birthday and finish off a perfect day. I just hope Kevin's aran sleeve doesn't have too many mistakes if I have more than one drink!

Almost 62 - I can't believe it!

Not much knitting or crocheting done this week (Shame on me as I have SO much to do before Christmas!) as I was taken out on Thursday by my niece and her best friend for a pre birthday meal at San Rocco in Cheetham Hill. It was so lovely to go out for a meal. The last time was for the same occasion (different restaurant) last year. I hadn't been the the San Rocco for many years and I am pleased to say that it is still as good as I remembered it. Too often I have treasured memories of a place only to re-visit and be very disappointed. Worse still if I have recommended it to a friend! I had melon with prawns in a Marie sauce for starter, chicken in cream sauce with wild mushrooms, potatoes and green beans for main. I did have a pudding (well it was a birthday treat after all!) but it was really very rich so unfortunately I couldn't finish it gorgeous though it was. Chocolate, cream, meringue, sponge with a touch of liqueur - very creamy but just all a bit too much for someone who has been avoiding such things for months.

We did take some photos with my camera in the restaurant but none of them came out. Yes Vicky I do need some lessons but in all fairness one of them was taken by Louise and that didn't come out either! I compensated by taking some when I got home. I have also posted photos of me in my youth as a sort of now and then so that you can see how the years have treated me. I am so old the first ones are in black and white! I certainly don't feel 62. Well OK so I am not 62 until tomorrow but some days I do feel my age when I can't tie my shoelaces or bend down to the pan cupboard I feel creeky but in my mind that is something that is purely linked to my bad back and nothing to do with getting old! I might have to revise that statement if I ever get my back fixed. Then I will have to blame something else! Mentally I am somewhere in my 40's and that's where I am staying. As long as I don't start dressing like mutton then I am OK ( I do have nieces and friends who will tell me if I do so don't worry)

I didn't post on Friday as I seem to be starting with a bad cold. It is the kind that doesn't quite "come out" but still leaves you a a bit miserable and shivery. I really must go on Monday and get my flu shot. It is well overdue now. Today hasn't helped as I took Buster out and got absolutely soaked even through my waterproof. My son is getting me a set of waterproofs for my birthday so hopefully my wet dog walk days are numbered. My nieces are buying me some hiking boots so no more wet feet. The things I do for this dog! He is still limping but getting better day by day so I think it was just a muscle strain.

I must get on with my knitting now. I am almost up to the raglan shaping on sleeve one of Kevin's aran. I really will heave a sigh of relief when that is finished. I have never had a project last SO LONG. I have started crocheting a short cardigan for my friend for Christmas but not done much of that either so today I must push on!

Flapper style mohair hat and scarf

I crocheted a flapper style hat with matching scarf from some Hayfield Mohair and when I tried it on I felt like Mary Pickford or one of the old movie stars about to be abducted by Rudolph Valentino and taken to his tent in the desert. The hat and scarf are really warm. The scarf could be used as a wrap it's quite wide but I feel it is far too hot for me to ever wear and so will be destined for sale if anyone would be willing to pay the cost of 6 balls of mohair. I doubt if either of my nieces are warm hat kind of girls so can't think of anyone that I could give it to as a Christmas present.

I have finished off Sue's cardigan and put some slightly glittery blue buttons on it so I hope she will like it. I took another photo with me wearing it and it does look marginally better than the flat on the hanger photo I took yesterday.

Buster has hurt his leg. I don't know what he has done. He came back from his walk on Monday and was OK and then later on I was in the kitchen when I heard a bang and a lot of scuffling and he came in limping and showing me his paw. I presume he fell off the sofa and landed funnily. I have checked his foot and leg over thoroughly and nothing seems swollen but he is still limping. I didn't take him for walks yesterday and today he is walking better but still limping. If it doesn't get any better then I will have to visit the vet's once again. I know it sounds mean but I really can't afford another trip this month so I am hoping he has just pulled something and will be back to his normal self tomorrow.

One more Christmas gift finished

I have finished the denim blue crochet short sleeved cardigan (well apart from sewing in a couple of tails and putting the buttons on) I have made for my ex's 2nd wife for Christmas. Yes I know, people do find it strange that we exchange Christmas presents but we do. I have also started one of the sleeves for Kevin's suit of armour aran so am hopeful on a finish for that before Christmas but as I hurt my wrist last time I pressed on with it I am proceeding very slowly with that one.

I woke this morning to a scene of mayhem in the back garden. I have several of those temporary plastic grow house structures and one of the smaller ones had blown over during the night scattering it's contents all around. I also had quite a few plant pots with cabbages and sprouts growing in them on a shelf and they are now upside down on the floor. I guess I will be spending some time sorting everything out. I had already decided to dismantle the smaller grow houses for the winter but just not got around to it so I guess Mother Nature is giving me a push! I will have to find ways of tying the 2 big grow houses down more firmly as I need to keep them assembled over the winter to protect the cabbages etc when the frost comes.

I sat last night compiling my "to do" list for Christmas gifts and decided that if I am to make the things which I would like to make as gifts then I will need even less sleep and plenty black coffee. My toes aren't doing much whilst I watch the TV. Is it too late to teach them to crochet? I must organise my time a bit better. 2 dog walks per day use up valuable craft time. I had thought of crocheting as I walk along but Buster demands stick and ball throws on a minute by minute basis so my gloves get very muddy so perhaps it's not a good idea after all. I could cut down on the housework I suppose but as my house is very disorganised even on a good day then I would probably lose things even more. I could stop perusing the PC as much. I am addicted to looking at other people's blogs and I have to look daily on Flikr to see the latest crochet photos. It's a bit like being a kid in a sweet shop. I see lovely things on a daily basis and bookmark them to give me ideas for later. I will never have enough hours in a day to make a quarter of the things I would like to.

The penalty of knitting too much

I have been cursed by Kevin's aran. I had knitted one side of the V whilst watching "How to look good naked" last night on TV so tonight I tried to push on with the 2nd side and try to get it finished off tonight. I had to chart out the decreases as I was adapting from a cardigan pattern which had the front bands knitted in so I could not use their version of the neck decreases. I had got two thirds of the way up the second bit of the V when I got this pain in my wrist. I think I have upset my carpal tunnel operation site as my wrist is aching badly. The knitting is fairly stiff so I must have done too many rows over the last 2 days. I hate wearing the wrist strap as it has a metal bar running all along my palm so makes it impossible to bend my hand ( that's probably the point of it!) so typing is difficult. I hope a good night's rest will stop the pain. I am not going to try to do more than my 16 rows tomorrow. I have learnt my lesson the hard way.

I had put my knitting down on the sofa before putting it away for the evening, I picked up my glass of orange juice (wearing my splint) and then whilst watching tv I nodded off and spilt the almost full glass down me and all over the aran front and the sofa. Well that woke me up fairly quickly. Good job it wasn't coffee! I can't wash the front as it is still on the needles so I will just have to hope that it doesn't stain.

The dog is back to his 2 walks a day off his lead. he is back to chasing sticks so I think he is over the operation now. He was a bit fretful this morning as I went to water aerobics and then to Asda. This was the first time I had left him since his operation and he has been very clingy. We had some sad news at the water aerobics. One of our ladies died at the weekend aged 69. I didn't go last week but she was there the week before. She looked about 55 I had no idea she was over 60. I didn't get the full story of what exactly happened but I did hear someone mention cancer. Another of our ladies has had a mastectomy but we have not had any news of how she is as yet.

The lump under my chin is still there and has not gone any smaller so I guess I will be getting referred to the specialist if it's still there next week. It's not painful but it does seem to get larger when I am eating so I think the dentist's tentative diagnosis of a blocked saliva gland is probably right.

I just had to share this

I was blog browsing this morning when I came across this on a blog and had to share it with you


"Draw a crazy picture, write a nutty poem, sing a mumble-gumble song, whistle through your comb. Do a loony-goony dance 'cross the kitchen floor, put something silly in the world that ain't been there before."
-Shel Silverstein

Hey someone else in the world is as crazy as me! I thought I was the only one dancing the polka when everyone else was dancing the waltz.