Crochet Today Special Issue

As I mentioned earlier my sister in law got me a part subscription to Crochet Today for my Christmas present. I was expecting another couple of copies but not this special one.

Although I do admire afghans and people who have the patience to make them I haven't made anything bigger than a cot blanket in the past. I do like the cover afghan Boho Bedspread by Katherine Eng which I think could be an ongoing stash buster type of afghan. I could maybe tackle something like this and put a few rows in here and there rather than make it in one go.

The Granny Update hexagonal blanket by Bobbi Anderson is another favourite as I do like the colours.

I likes the green and white Stripes and Dots Blanket by Marianne Forrestal would make a very pretty pram or cot blanket.

The Blooming Blankie by Donna Childs is another pretty ripple pattern type blanket but I doubt if I would put the flowers around the edges.

The Pocket Blanket by Michele Wilcox is cute with it's little teddy pocket and I like the colours of the Stained Glass Afghan by Regina Rioux Gonzales.

The magazine has some useful tips on joining motifs together. I have always struggled with joining anything that isn't a square or hexagonal shape so hopefully I can read this for some enlightenment for joining circles or anything that needs an infill of crochet.

There are 25 afghan and baby blanket patterns in this special edition but they are not all new patterns as I have seen some of them before in previous copies of Crochet Today.

I have managed to crochet the back and almost two fronts of the baby pink cardigan. Buster seems to be a bit brighter today. Yesterday he slept most of the day in between bathings and he slept late (as did I) this morning. He is still walking with his head on one side but doesn't seem to be in as much pain today and managed to bark at the postman which shows that he is recovering.Yesterday he didn't even notice when I got mail through the letter box nor did he bark at the paper girl when she delivered my evening paper.

My next door neighbour's youngest came home from school with his arm in a sling and she was taking him to the hospital to see whether his arm was broken. He had fallen whilst playing football at school. I haven't seen her today to find out what happened at the hospital yesterday afternoon.

Buster Makes Himself At Home

Buster is here again for the weekend and has lost no time in settling in. As usual he is glued to me and the only way I got to take this photos was to slide out from under him whilst he was asleep. The minute I took the photo he was up and following me around as per usual. This means that very little knitting will get done over the weekend.

I have knitted one side of the first piece of the striped knitting. Then it will be a bit like the second sock syndrome as I have to knit another piece exactly the same! For some reason I am just not enjoying this sweater. I am determined to finish it though as if I put it down altogether then it will never get finished. I now limit myself to a couple of projects at any one time otherwise I get overwhelmed with WIP and don't finish anything.

I have started the James C Brett Marble chunky. The pattern I have chosen is definitely a vintage pattern as I first knitted it when I was 15. I think that I have made it two or three times over the years but haven't made one during the last 10 years so it is time for another one. I have decided to move back to raglan sleeve decreasing as I find that they fit so much better, Perhaps that is one reason I am so slow with he striped sweater as it has dropped shoulders.

I got an e mail yesterday from my niece's friend that I made the duck hats for at Christmas. She said that her daughter has tantrums if they try to put any other hat on. She only wants to wear the duck hat. Now whilst I am flattered that she likes my hat I am slightly worried that I have turned a small child into a bit of a diva. I replied suggesting that over the summer months that they "lose" the hat. I have offered to make her another hat for next winter without a duck on it.

I don't suppose that I will get much knitting done this weekend. Buster is an attention seeker so I have to wait until he falls asleep around about 10pm to get anything done at all.

Guard Dog on Duty

Buster here. I am waiting for my walk which doesn't look like it is happening anytime soon. Gran is having a whinge about her knee hurting her after walking me yesterday. She is such an old grump. Did I moan when she woke me twice in the night screaming in pain when I accidentally lay on her knee? I can't help being a sturdy kind of guy. If she took me out then I could walk off my breakfast. If I sit here and give her one of my baleful looks and big sighs that might work.

I have been a free guard dog for her since I got here. Protecting the house from marauding paper girls and postmen who keep putting unwanted bits of paper through our letterbox. I lie on the sofa, looking asleep with my ball, in wait until I hear a noise, then I am on full alert looking out of the window until I see an unsuspecting passer by. I had a laugh yesterday when I scared the papergirl half to death. I waited until she had put the paper half way in the letterbox and then I leapt on the chair and barked up a storm. Boy did she jump high!

Gran is whinging again something about dog hair on her crochet. I am glad she has moved those square things. I nearly poked my eye out on one of the pins she used to put them on this board thing. Silly place to put a board when I am galloping about chasing a ball. I am glad she has moved it into the corner. Now she is saying that she only has 7 more squares to crochet and will I be a good dog whilst she makes them. Ha I might be if you take me out for a walk Gran.

My pouting seems to be working I can see that she is feeling guilty now and is revving up to take me out. I can't wait to chase a stick and roll in the smelly stream then come in and jump on the cream sofa before she has time to clean my feet. What fun. It's a dog's life!

What is mum doing?

Why is mum working on that pink thing? I keep giving her the eye and she still carries on working. Gosh this is making me tired watching her. I think I will just rest my eyes on this cushion. Yawn. I think I will just have a little sleep whilst I wait to bark at the postman! I can bare my teeth at him from this chair. Scares him to death! Let's see if he brings mum that letter she is waiting for. No? Well I guess I will just carry on sleeping then until mum puts that pink thing down and takes me for a walk. After that I will have another snooze whilst mum goes shopping and wait for the paper boy. Boy he really jumps when I bark at him! It's such fun. The first day he delivered our paper he almost fell off his bike. So funny. Mum says I am spoiling the back cushion of the chair but I keep telling her I have to lean my paws and head on something whilst I keep guard on the street. I can keep my head low from this vantage point so people don't see me until I jump up and bark. It's part of the game but she just dosen't understand and keeps tuttng at me and fluffing the cushion back into shape.

Yesterday I had the rat catcher man to bark at. He said next door had seen a rat. Hah. He looked in this garden but there was no sign of any rats. I could have told him that. Nothing is allowed in my garden but me. I chase everything else including Oscar the cat from next door who dares to sit on my fence and that dratted squirrel who runs on the shed. I will get him next time! Rats in my garden - as if! I chased off that fox didn't I - he hasn't been back since. Mum wants the PC now so farewell to my fans. It's time for another sleep.

No letter and no e mail so I guess that is it until Tuesday when everyone goes back to work. I have almost finished the pink thing ( another Sweet Pea shawl). I don't know what has been wrong with me this week. First I had a couple of days off because of my wrist and then every time I picked up my crochet it was a signal for me to fall asleep glasses on nose and hook in hand. My crafting has been virtually nil this week.

The wrist straps at night seem to be doing the trick. I have actually been having quite a few hours unbroken sleep which is good for me. No bad dreams either. I think the dream catcher that Ambermoggie sent to me and is now hanging from my ceiling fan is keeping the evil dreams at bay. I must find a better place for it as one of these days I will forget and turn on the fan and there will be a rapidly rotating dream catcher whirling around the bedroom.

I have been given an old lady 4 wheeled shopping trolley (courtesy of Ivy from Freecycle) and my son has picked it up for me. I haven't got it yet as it is still in my son's car. I could have done with it today as I was scared of hurting my wrist again when I dragged my shopping home in my 2 wheeled trolley. I had large tins of dog food and a big washing powder in it as well as my shopping so it really weighed heavy and took me ages to wheel it home from Tesco. I have never been so glad to see my street. My arms felt as though they were lugged out of my shoulders. Shopping day is the only day I really miss my car.