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.