Bit of Doris Chan - bit of me

As you know from previous posts that I had intended to make a version of Tall Latte from the Everyday Crochet Book but as I wasn't concentrating fully in the run up to the intended operation I omitted to increase for the front V shaping and so finished up with a square neckline. Unwilling to rippp it undone I toyed with the idea of keeping it square and just putting an edging on it but when I tried it on it was far too low and behold for what was supposed to be a winter sweater.

I improvised and filled the gaping square neckline in with crochet as you can see but as the stitches were too similar (and going in different directions) I decided to outline the neckline with a relief trim to distinguish between the 2 pattern stitches. I went into my loft to search in my thousands of buttons but as per usual nothing was suitable either in colour or style so I just made crochet buttons as I can put the sweater on over my head without actually undoing any buttons. I have found over the years that crochet buttons do not stand up to being used as fasteners on a long term basis. They get squashed and out of shape very quickly.
I will take some photos of it with my webcam when I try it on later and will put the photos on here and on my Ravelry projects.

Lisa's daughter has seen the beginning of the Seraphina shawl and loves it. I have done a few more rows on it but of course progress will seem to slow the wider the shawl becomes. I feel that it might have to be blocked but the weight of the chenille may spread out the pattern as the weight around the edge increases. I am reluctant to block as I don't want to spoil the nature of the chenille. It is all too easy to make it look flat and lifeless. I knitted with chenille years ago and if it gets a whiff of an iron or any kind of heat then it is ruined. I will maybe just keep hanging it when I put it down for the evening and let gravity work it's magic. The shawl pattern has no specific length so I will just keep on crocheting until it is either the right length or the cone runs out whichever comes faster.

I have left the best news until the last. My baby is back home! My hoover free days are over but it's good to have him back even though he has shed everywhere. He has slimmed down a lot and I am on strict instructions to slim him down a bit more. He is limping once again but we have decided that it is a touch of old age or arthritis and not an injury. I am going to try him on some supplements to see if that eases his joints. I am not sure if he is overjoyed to be home or not. I think in his heart he can't decide and would ideally like all of us to be with him. My son and daughter in law for the fun and exercise and me for the petting and fussing. Apparently he got a bit cross with Skye licking his face and messing with him all the time but at the same time it did Skye good to get put in her place and she has calmed down whilst he has been there. She is still at the bouncy 7 month old puppy stage but with all the strength of a Rottweiler.

Business as usual

Back to normal today. It's as if yesterday never happened and it was all a bad dream. I went shopping as, of course, I had got rid of all the perishables in the house. Difficult to shop when I know not when (or if) the summons will arrive. I waited until the torrential rain had stopped and the sun came out and sallied forth with Ivy my trusty stead (my 4 wheeled trolley) in the general direction of Tesco. I do apologise to anyone who thought that the hunchback of Notre Dame had come to town but it was only me hunched right over my trolley as my back was giving me a bit of gyp. I managed to get there, and stand upright again, with only a few spots of rain but half way home the heavens opened. Well I discovered that my waterproofs are mis-labelled. They are merely shower proof so I arrived home sopping wet through. Ah the British summer time.

I had started a Doris Chan a couple of days ago and was congratulating myself that I am finally starting to understand her instructions. What do they say about pride cometh before a fall? I got as far as joining the neck and body together only to discover that I had forgotten all about increasing at each end, as well as the raglans, to make the V neck. Undeterred I am pressing on and will either have the only square necked Doris Chan in existence or I have a couple of ideas bubbling in my head as how to deal with the neckline. I just cannot be bothered to undo it right back to the beginning as it is for me and I will turn it into something wearable. The reason it is lying on top of the purple sweater is that I was using it as a template for the size of the body as I thought this sweater was turning out a little wider than the purple.

The wool was one of my charity shop finds and now that I am using it the balls are all in bits and pieces so I will crochet it as far as I can length and sleeve wise. I had packed away my niece's socks just in case I had time to knit before my operation whilst in hospital so I will have to dig them out of the bag again.

Although I am missing Buster I didn't miss having to walk him in the torrential rain today. Plus my back wasn't at it's best today. I do miss his cheery little face and his devotion although I don't miss all his shedding hair.

Tomorrow I am getting visitors. Vicky and Lisa are coming for a visit. It will be nice to have some company as I am still feeling a little shell shocked about yesterday and feel very depressed if I let my mind dwell on it. Back to the crochet to take my mind off it.