Another Stash Buster All Shawl

Another stash buster All Shawl by Doris Chan destined for the Knitting Noras raffles. I really enjoy making these shawls as they are so quick to make. I think a lot of it is to do with the colour changes. Have you ever noticed that you can knit or crochet a lot faster with the variegated wools as you can't wait to see the next colour change well the same is true of these stash buster shawls. I try not to plan the colours out too carefully. It's more a question of the larger amounts go further down the shawl where it takes a lot more wool for each row than planned colour co-ordination. Some work out well as I think this one does and some not so well. As usual my web cam has bleached out the colour in the shawl. The blcking photos are closer to the correct colours.

I am working on another stash buster but as my choice of stash is dwindling then the next one is less co-ordinated and has brighter colours in it. All will be revealed when I have finished it and photographed it. Perhaps the colours will grow on me.

Today I should work some more on the wrap for the mermaid tail but I am being distracted by the thought of trying to make some hair clips instead. Maybe I will do a bit of both.

The sun is shining today after the dreadful weather over the weekend. Four of my fellow Knitting Noras went to the Ravelry show but it was unfortunately a bit of a wash out. They just hadn't really catered for the British weather and a lot of the wool stalls were outside. Such a shame when events gets spoiled by our weather but as our weather is no surprise I think they should plan on holding everything indoors. People are not inclined to browse and buy with rain running down the back of their necks.

Peace and quiet has returned to my neighbourhood today. Last night the music from the Oasis concert in Heaton Park could be plainly heard inside my lounge with all the windows and doors closed. I feel sorry for anyone who isn't an Oasis fan and who lives close to the park as if I could hear it over the top of the TV where I am then it must have been unbearable for them.

Crochet Bed Cape

I have now finished off the bed cape for the Knitting Noras raffles. It is made from some quite thick pink double knit that Sylvia donated. I have used an old Patons Cover-ups pattern 3005 which is probably well out of date by now. There are remarkable similarities to the All Shawl by Doris Chan at the start having the same segment type shaping. The edging is different though more ruffled. I had taken a close up of the ruffles and one of the ruffle spread out flat so that you can see how it is constructed. The bed cape is the bright pink of the first few photos and not the pale pink of the web cam ones.

I have almost finished an All Shawl in shades of brown. It is another stash buster shawl similar to the one I made for Lisa. I will photograph it tomorrow when it is completely finished and the tails sewn in. That is the worst part of using up odd balls. I am not a good sewer at the best of times so why I keep choosing to make things with loads of tails amazes me. Perhaps I like punishing myself ;)

I have had loads of favourable comments and e mails about the You Tube videos of the Knitting Noras that finished up on the cutting room floor. Everyone is very complimentary and say what a shame that we didn't make it to the programme.

Funnily enough there was an old programme repeat on Sky circa 2005 last night going into the spate of nude calendars that followed the famous WI original calendar. It was about the pitfalls and why some calendars were a huge success and some a failure. The opinion was that the more tongue in cheek and humorous the calendar was the more it appealed to everyone and not just a select few. I do hope that we get the balance right when ours is finished.

Poppy has just been for her daily visit and tummy rub. Next door's cat has been for his food and a sleep. Luckily they didn't arrive at the same time as Poppy thinks poor Oscar is fair game and chases him all around the house. He looks as though he has got scratched up in a cat fight so is feeling a bit sorry for himself today.

I have managed to get some washing dry before the rain started. I guess we are in for another day of drumming noise. I live nowhere near Heaton Park and yet I can hear the drums from Oasis and Kasabian. They sound like the Indian war drums in an old cowboy B movie from here. If I could actually hear the music it might not be so bad. I will be glad when they are gone though as we have had this all week. When it first started I was blaming the teenager next door until I saw him come back home and realised he had been out all the time this noise was going on.

Off to stitch in a few tails!

Knitting Noras - Stars of You Tube

As you know the filming that The Knitting Noras did for the BBC programme Calendar Girls 10 yrs on finished up on the cutting room floor upsetting us all yesterday. Today, however, Bev got sent 2 versions of the Knitting Noras filming salvaged from the cutting room floor and now available for viewing on You Tube thanks to her husband Sal who put them on there for us.

I am putting the links on here but just in case you can't follow them then type in You Tube - then Bolton Knitting Noras and you will see Cutting room 1 and 2 alongside our previous videos if you haven't seen those.

Cutting Room Floor 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKN3M7khMFI

Cutting Room Floor 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjZZc51duxo

Who is that woman with the flying crocheting fingers making a blue sweater? I think that you might know her. She has a real cheeky look in one of the shots. Shame we didn't make it to the TV but at least we are stars of You Tube.

Bad News - We get told at the 11th hour that the BBC are not using any of the footage that they shot of the Knitting Noras

Yes it's true. Truenorth Productions who filmed the Knitting Noras, at great length, for the BBC rang Bev today to inform her that NONE of the footage that they shot for the BBC is to be included in tonight's programme about the Calendar Girls. The BBC have every right not to use our film, of course, but the fact that they left it until today to tell us when the programme is airing tonight is not playing the game in my eyes. They must have known ages ago that we were not being included and yet let us go ahead with newspaper and magazine promotional interviews saying that we would be in the TV programme and now we look foolish when we are not on the programme and it's now too late to inform them. Lots of people will now tune in tonight and wonder where we are. It makes it look like we have been telling lies to get more publicity and that is the most embarrassing thing.

After texting family and friends this morning to be sure to watch us and not Big Brother tonight I have now had to re text everyone and tell them that we are now not going to be on TV after all. At least the phone company will be happy with all the money that I have donated to them this morning! Bev has asked if we can have a DVD of our filming so at least we can put it on You Tube just to prove that we did actually take part in the filming. It would be nice to have proof that all of this was not just a figment of our imagination.

This is a set back to the calendar publicity that we could do without. It would be nice if Truenorth productions could salvage something from this and get the BBC North to put us in a news programme instead of it all just being a huge waste of licence payers money and all of the footage finishing up in the bin.

I am still plodding on with the crocheted bed cape. It takes ages to go around a row at the moment as it is so wide. I have included a photo of my own finished bed cape so that you can see what the pink one will look like once it is finished. I made it to use in hospital but never used it as I was in the one week last year when we had a heatwave. I have just noticed after I took the photo today that the buttons I put on it are lemon and not cream so I guess I will be button changing later today. I am not going to put buttons on the pink cape for the raffle. I think I will just put crocheted ties.

I had very little sleep last night again. I am hoping that these anti inflammatory tablets start to work soon.

Right I am of for a sulk about the Noras not being on the TV tonight. I hate Big Brother but I might watch it in protest about not being included in the BBC programme.

Slow progress on the bedcape

The bed cape progress has slowed considerably as I am up to the part where the edge is quite full and frilly and so it takes quite a lot of time and wool to get across a row. It will be all worth it in the end. You will see as it progresses. I have spread the crochet stitches out in the last photo so that you can see just how it is done.

Today has been a quiet sort of day after the last hectic two days. I didn't get much sleep last night with my knee so am feeling rather droopy today. I think all the poking and prodding that the physiotherapist did yesterday plus all the walking gave my knee the galloping twinges all evening and night so every time I nodded off I got prodded awake with a pain in my kneecap. I am off to see the GP later this afternoon so I hope he gives me some stronger painkillers and some anti inflammatory pills.

The crochet prop for the calendar has hit a stop. I have fallen out of love with it temporarily. I have done just over a half of the finished length but as it has been so warm these last few days I didn't want to wear a warm lap rug as I am crocheting. Plus my fingers got so hot and sweaty that I was sticking to the slightly fluffy wool. Short of sitting crocheting at the dining room table with the fan on I can't think of any other way of keeping the heat off my lap.That would OK in the day time but I do like to watch the TV in the evenings. Today is much cooler so maybe I can get some more done tonight.

Skills learned at my mother's knee

When I made my first pair of socks I used a 50 gram ball of Sirdar Country Style 4ply and used the Monkey Pattern. Since then I have got persuaded that socks should be lovingly hand crafted in various hand dyed wonder wools. The snag being these splendorous wools do not last two minutes on my feet whereas the slung in the washer hundreds of times Monkey socks are still living to tell the tale. I looked at this pair today and discovered a new huge hole underfoot and another at the toe and as I am a make do and mend kind of girl I decided to hone my 'taught at my mother's knee' darning skills. I had never had to use these skills much until recently and no doubt will again in the future as I have many skeins of luxury sock wool to make into more socks. Is it just me that wears through socks like this? I haven't got extra long or sharp toe nails and my shop bought socks last me forever.

As I sat in the garden doing my darning it took me back to my childhood and watching my mother painstakingly darning not only my father's socks but those of her much younger brothers plus many a sweater elbow. She used to re foot socks when they got too holey to darn any more. Economical to use the leg that was perfectly OK and just knit a new foot part. Of course it helped that sock wool only existed in about 4 shades in those days. We were no poorer than other families in my street I just think it was normal to darn rather than throw away. Perhaps darning will be a skill relearned in these credit crunch times.

Today I was back at the hospital for my physio appointment. I had to go through everything step by step with her as she had no access to any of my notes which wasn't exactly helpful. I could have told her that my head was dropping off and she would have been none the wiser! She said I had no muscle tone, nerve tremors and severe osteo arthritis in my knee. I have bone grinding on bone wearing it away. Now I didn't know that bit did I ?? I have got a set of exercises to do at home. Will they get rid of all of this pain? Oh I don't know she said - they might but at least they will strengthen your knee. I said my knee has been like this strength wise for over 50 yrs since my original accident so will these exercises cure that? Well it's doubtful she said but try them anyway they will help.I will do them but don't hold your breath. Watch this space for a miracle cure! I said don't I get any treatment like I do when I pay to see a physio? No ultrasound, heat treatment or manipulation. She said oh no but then the private physio didn't cure you did he. I said no but when I had a couple of his treatments I was OK for at least 12 months.

My crochet has suffered with all of my travelling on buses and trams. I did try to do some on the bus on both days but First Bus trains it's drivers in the Kamikaze school of motoring so if they don't throw you off the seat with their braking then they throw you off with their cornering at speed on 2 wheels. I did gather up a few interested parties to watch my crochet in the waiting room and regaled this captive audience with tales of the calendar and watching BBC 1 on Thursday to see if I am on the programme. Prizes for spotting my few seconds of fame! We formed the dodgy knee club in the waiting room today with some on their 2nd and 3rd knee ops and one on his 4th. It doesn't fill me with a lot of confidence for my knee recovery.

I decided to take along some different crochet as the mermaid tail prop was too big to squash into my bag and requires a bit of concentration so I started a bed cape in the pink wool that Sylvia kindly donated towards the raffle. I just hope that people know an old lady with a liking for pink who is ill or in hospital. The pattern is very old and I have made it a few times but this time I decided to leave the collar off as it is rather an 80's huge one and to me totally unnecessary for a bed cape.

Roll on Friday's hospital appointment for another hurtle around the bus. People pay money at amusement parks for a white knuckle ride like I get for free with my bus pass. Some days it's especially good when you get clobbered at the back of the ankles by drink bottles and cans lovingly dropped to the floor by the sweet schoolchildren as they lurch foul mouthed onto the bus. The girls with their knicker crotches on display as they sit down in too short skirts and the boys as they burp and fart as only boys can. I have never seen such a large array of fat white thighs since I last glanced in the bathroom mirror. My God at their age I was a sylph. What size are they going to be when they are my age I wonder.

Sometimes the NHS makes my blood boil

I went for my long awaited follow up appointment for my knee to the hospital today. What a waste of time. I saw a nurse practitioner who hadn't the faintest idea what I was talking about. I asked her why I was in so much pain still after the operation and she said did they not tell you what they did? I said they did briefly when I was in the theatre but nothing since. She prodded my knee and said had I not had any anti inflammatory pills , stronger pain killers or physio. I said no because my GP would not prescribe anything until I saw the specialist again as I was still under his care. She then said my knee muscles were weak and needed physio. I said will having a course of physio take away the pain and she said possibly. I said what happens next and she said the specialist has no plans for any further treatment on you. I said Oh that's great he will leave me worse off than I was before the op then? After standing my ground she decided to refer me back to the specialist and after an argument an appointment was produced out of thin air for this Friday.

I then toddled down to physio as instructed to be told there that as my doctor does not have a practice in Salford then I can't have my physio there I have to be referred to another hospital. She mentioned my local hospital whose idea of physio is to give you a sheet of exercise instructions on a piece of paper and send you home to do them! I said I am not going there and I will have words with the specialist on Friday. I had my operation here and should have my follow up treatment here and not at some hospital where they don't know what I have had done. It's just so stupid in my eyes. Suddenly she produced an appointment for me at that hospital for tomorrow. Amazing isn't it. One minute they have no spaces and the next one gets pulled out of a hat. Salford Royal has a huge physio dept with a hydro pool and all the latest equipment I am not being fobbed off to some second rate hospital where they offer nothing in the way of treatment. I fell for that once before and they did more harm than good and made my back problems far worse with their mis diagnosis. They had me doing the wrong exercises and damned near killed me so can you wonder I am not overanxious to go back there especially as I wrote in to complain about them.

The photos are of Poppy, the dog from next door, who is only happy if she comes in at least once a day for a nosy around and a tummy tickle. Julie has tried planting shrubs and putting boards along the hedge but she still manages to burrow under every day. We will have no hedge left soon. I have told Julie that we should just put a gate in the fence as she is one determined doggie. This shows her finding the waste paper basket that Buster keeps his tennis balls in and tipping them all out. Not satisfied with all of those she tried her hardest to get a "ball" from underneath the sewing machine but as I kept telling her it's a round candle. I had to move it in the end and hide it.

Yesterday Deb was kind enough to give me a lift up the the Sunday Knit Out and we had a great time sitting chatting in the sunshine outside the Cafe. If only every Knit Out Sunday could be like that. When we are indoors we are more spread out and tend to split into groups but when we are outside we are grouped together around linking tables.We had quite a good turnout considering how glorious the weather was. I won't be going to the next Knit Out unless my knee behaves itself and I can get there on the bus as Deb is going to a concert. Let's hope this physio works wonders or my appointment with the specialist gives me hope as at the moment I fervently wish I had never let them touch my knee.