My favourite knitted hat pattern

I have knitted this hat many times and still love the way that the top circles around with it's decreases. It is simple yet effectively shaped. It came originally from a free pattern, but when I came to look for the link I find out that she is now selling the pattern for $5.

This is the web site should you wish to purchase one. It is called Guy's hat named I think after her son who she knitted it for. I find that it is unisex.

http://www.iliveonafarm.com/knittingpatterns.html

Luckily I printed mine out when it was a free one. I have nothing against purchasing patterns but as I live in the UK it is a little difficult to order and pay for just one pattern from the US. I have just finished the black hat for my niece with the left over wool from her black crocheted jacket but have included a photo of a lighter coloured hat so that the shaping can be seen clearer.

I have finished one pair of Anna's crochet soakers but am a bit dubious about the shaping for the bum area. I hope that it looks better on Anna as it rather resembles the fat suit that Eddie Murphy wore whilst in drag in one of his films. I call it a shelf butt. I know it is shaped to accommodate the clothies but it still looks rather out of proportion. I have started a second pair but I won't post any photos until after Sunday when Linda gets to see them for the first time. I still have to crochet a hat for Nikki before Sunday but think I will need another ball so I might be finishing that hat off at the Knit Out. I am not going to the Knit Out at the Salford Arms tonight as my lift cannot make it. She isn't well and is having an early night.

I now have a garage door handle and the electrician has called today about fitting a light and plug sockets in there for me. One day soon I will be able to take a muddy dog through the garage and into the kitchen for a feet wash instead of trying to capture him and towel him down before he dashes into the lounge. Then I will have no excuse for not re polishing the parquet floor in the small hall and sorting out the wellies, boots and dog towels in the porch. Then I need a new door mat and a coat of paint on the walls. Why is it when you get one job done it leads on to another? I have told the builder, my son's friend, that if I need any more major repairs I will have to leave him shares in my house instead of paying him! He still has to re plaster the bay window in my bedroom from before he repaired the roof and the rain was coming in. Then the bedroom desperately needs wallpapering but not for a while unless the wallpapering fairy ( my friend Caroline) takes pity on me. It won't be any time soon as I am the gloss painter and of course I won't be able to do that for quite a while after the op. I am not looking forward to this bit as I painted the doors, skirting board and radiator red last time I decorated ! So it will be a complete strip down and not just a coat of paint.

Mattenlou I loved your comments. I think we are cloned. I do the same thing. Search through my patterns for hours and then toss them back into the boxes and use a pattern from the net! I had to chuckle when you said you would use the purple dress pattern as bedroom curtains and I thought maybe my red bedroom is not as whacky as I thought! Ailsa you must have know that "When I am an old woman I shall wear purple " is one of my favourite poems. I intend to be completely eccentric and strangely dressed by the time I grow old(er). Hey I am more than half way there already. My mother always used to say I marched to a different drum than everyone else. Why not? March on the off beat - it confuses everyone!

My horoscope was almost right

I don't really believe in horoscopes, well at least not the ones in the daily papers, but I did glance at yesterday's and it said I was to check e mail and text addresses carefully before I sent them. So what did I do today? I sent an e mail meant for Rose to Vicky! Luckily Vicky alerted me to the fact and all was well. So the horoscope got it almost right - just got the wrong day!

My sister in law's shawl has progressed well. I have now worked up 200 grams See how well I understand UK instructions particularly from ancient patterns. This was from a booklet circa 1980. The last time I made it I was using stash wool and so cut it shorter than the pattern but this time I will make it to it's full length. Still not sure about the edging though (see pattern on previous post) . That might have to be a modification as I doubt that she would want a frilly collar.

I started a hat for Kath with the part 100 gram ball I had left. I am using a pattern that I got free from the net. I wanted to forward the link to Rose but discovered that the lady in question who designed Guy's hat has now jumped on the bandwagon of selling her patterns and the link has changed. I am all for people making a buck but it does make life difficult for us Brits who might only want one pattern. I get confused sending away for things in the UK so have no chance with converting to dollars and have never mastered Pay Pal. I might have got to grips with some of the internet but most of it remains a huge mystery to me.

My niece Vicky has offered to take me up to the Yarn Barn in Shaw for a little look around on Saturday. I don't need anything (famous last words?) but who can resist an offer of a ride to a wool shop?

This afternoon I am off to the hospital to get my CPAP machine checked out in readiness for the operation. I did ring last week but the technician got a garbled message from me. I relayed the message via a secretary - I am going in hospital, need machine checking, plus I need a new mask and container as container is leaking. She got message - Not an urgent message as Jan is going in hospital for a few weeks and so won't be able to come to any appts! I didn't think I was that hard to understand how can it not be urgent when I have a leaking container. Water and electricity are not a good mix are they?

I have washing blowing in the sunshine - yeah for sunshine and am off to walk my dog before I have to go out.