Gimme my crochet hook back!

I have knitted a small premature baby blanket using the pattern (click the title) with 4mm needles and 100 grams double knit. I have used acrylic as these baby blankets usually get thrown in the washer and pure wool wouldn't stand up to the punishment of a hot wash plus I read somewhere that some babies are allergic to wool. I know acrylic has a bad press with people saying it can melt and burn etc but quite frankly I would hope that premature babies are under constant surveillance and that prospect is highly unlikely.

The knitted blanket took me 2 nights and one afternoon to make and it is only 15" square. I do knit, but my first love is crochet. Today I picked a crochet stitch that I thought would not snag on tiny fingers and in one hour I had made approx one third of a blanket. That is more my kind of pace. There are some things that I prefer to be knitted - socks and arans etc but I relax more when crocheting. I think the rest of my blankets will be crocheted.

These blankets are destined for Bliss the charity nominated by the National Knitting Week (12th-19th Oct) and Vicky from the Knitting Noras of Bolton is organising a knit in, with donations for nibbles and drinks at her place, so I am going to try to make a few more blankets for this event.

The DROPS bolero is no more. I now have a pile of small balls which I am hoping to turn into something more wearable for Vicky. The bolero came out huge despite my making the smallest size on a smaller hook. I had not read the small print that said small = 42" bust! Needless to say as it was too big for me it absolutely swamped Vicky. I just hope I have enough to make something else. There is such a lot of waste when crocheting with small balls.

I did a bit more in the garden today. I have filled the wheelie bin again. The bin men will love me but as Bury council haven't provided me with a garden rubbish bin and I no longer have a car to take anything to the tip then the normal bin has to suffice. I have picked up all the small branches from the holly tree but I still have about 2 buckets full of leaves still on the lawn. I have learned to stop when my back starts to twinge. Tomorrow is another day (if it doesn't rain)

I am going to watch Midsommer Murders on TV now and finish off my baby blanket. My knee is getting better day by day and so I might actually get around to finishing off Vicky's shawl tonight. I will bring my blocking boards back downstairs again. I pinned the squares onto them just before I injured my knee and they have stayed there ever since.

Am I in the right country?

I woke up to blue skies and sunshine today so guess where I will be sitting today? You got it - in the garden. I will take my cushions outside and attempt to pad out my oh so uncomfy plastic garden chair and soak in a few rays. Tomorrow the forecast is for sunny patches with rain so it's today or never! (I spoke too soon as whilst writing this blog the sun has decided to go into hiding - bummer- I hope that it comes out again soon)

I wish I was well enough to go and see the Gay Pride parade today in Manchester. I am still looking for my Mr Right in case you are wondering about my tendencies but I have a few gay friends and love a good party no matter who is throwing it. It's usually such a fun time with floats and everyone dressed up in their finery. I have had to miss it for the last couple of years so hopefully next year I will be there with my flag waving! Another parade I have had to miss of late is the West Indian Carnival in Moss Side. The food is fantastic and the music in the park has to be heard (and usually is miles away!) to be believed. I am just a big kid at heart and love a parade. I will have both of these events marked in my calendar for next year for sure.

I started a square for the Drops Bolero crochet pattern but I am unhappy with the centre of it and anyone who knows me will know that this is a signal for a bit of Sinatra (I did it my way!) I doubt very much if any amount of blocking will turn the centre raised nipple effect into a flat circle. I am therefore going to start the next square and use ordinary trebles for the circle instead of the double trebles as per the pattern to see if that improves the overall look. I would far rather undo than put my name to something that I am not happy with. I still shudder when I think about that loopy green chenille shawl although Storm was more than pleased with it when she saw it and I believe has worn it ever since.

I might manage a trip up to Tesco later today just to get a few bits unless I can bribe the teenager next door to accompany me and push my trolley. I have to post something and need to buy a large padded envelope but our well stocked newsagents in the village has mysteriously closed very suddenly taking with it my usual source of padded envelopes. I can buy them at the Post Office but it is such a bind. I have to stand in the queue for ever to buy the envelope and then have to address and fill the envelope in the Post Office and rejoin the never ending huge queue once again to send it. I prefer to get everything ready at home and then I can bribe the teenager next door to take it up to the Post Office and post it for me! Crafty or what?

Well the sun is shining very weakly at the moment but I am hopeful of this sunny day that they promised on the weather forecast last night. Wish me luck as I attempt to sit in my garden.

I have been asked a few times if I think my operation was worth all the pain that I went through and I will say a big yes to that. I am improving so much every day and the pain is merely from the operation site now. It feels so good to be out of the crippling daily pain that now I can't believe how I put up with it for as long as I did without killing the people who cancelled my ops so many times. I feel that I have been given a second chance of mobility and whilst I am taking it very easily at the moment to give the bones and pins chance to knit together properly, as per instructions, I am very hopeful of the final outcome. It will be a slow process for some time yet but every day brings more hope. I am finding it hard not to be able to do things but every time I think that I will do this and that I stop and say Whoa Jan think of the bigger picture here and if it doesn't come easily then just leave it for another day. I have been blessed with such good friends without whose help I would not have got through this. Thanks to everyone - you know who you are so I won't embarrass you by naming you.