Blogging whilst I can

I have managed to stay online this morning but for how long I just don't know. I have been disconnected twice already. Orange says it's not their fault it's the phone line. BT says nothing to do with them. So who do I believe?

I will have to try to catch up with reading blogs today as I haven't read any for about 2 days now.

I have been knitting constantly since I last blogged. It takes so much longer than crochet but I must admit that it does look nice. I am having to use my stitch markers as I don't seem to have the eye for keeping a lace pattern correct without them especially when shaping at both ends of a row.

Last night I managed to get to the Knit Club at the Kings Arms as I was lucky enough to be offered a lift there and back. I really am going to miss not having a car for trips out like this. I can use public transport but these days I just don't feel safe out in the streets of Manchester after dark. It's a sad thing to have to say about my own home town. Up to a couple of years ago I would have ventured anywhere at anytime but the yob culture seems to have taken over the cities and as I am getting older and less nimble I fear being out alone after dark. It's a sad situation.

I took my crochet down to the Knit Club but didn't get any done as I didn't have the right wool for the project I was working on (more on that in a later blog) and the substitute I thought that I could use didn't work out so I just helped Rachael with starting her crochet shawl. It is the first one that she has made and so needed to see how the point and the increases started. She did really well and I feel that there will be a finished shawl soon.

I may venture out in the rain later as I need some bits and pieces from the shops. It is so hard to drum up any enthusiasm for a walk, even though I know I need the exercise, when the rain is pouring down. The weather forecast said some sun tomorrow so let's hope that they are right for a change.

I saw on a US blog that Friday 12th Sept is International Crochet Day. Apparently on this day we crocheters are supposed to crochet in public, teach someone to crochet or just swap ideas and patterns. I have no plans for sitting in the rain in my local shopping precinct with my crochet so I shall participate in the comfort of my lounge and swap my knitting for crochet on Friday.

Cristy you asked about the yarn I used in Rah Boom De Ay. I was unsure I would like the sweater so I just used some bargain acrylic Double Knit in Scarlet that I bought from Lidl. Cheap and cheerful - that's me. I would love to work in better quality wools but my crocheting speed exceeds my purse on matters such as these so I tend to stay with the budget yarns unless I can snag a real bargain in a Sale. Usually when I work with decent yarns these days it is when I am making something for someone and they supply the yarn.

I will be back asap

My internet keesp disconnecting every five minutes and then stays off for most of the day. Nothing to do with us says Orange. Fault must be yours. After all you have had your PC and Livebox for almost 12 months (sctually I got them at Christmas)Check all your connections (I have). We can test the line but it will be 5 days before we can do this (why?) there is some kind of a note on your account so I can't check it ( I pay direct debit and they have had the money) The mind boggles! Just bear with us for the next 5 days ( I am paying for the next 5 days)

I probably won't be able to post this as it will disconnect if I try but you never know. Hopefully back soon

I am knitting for a change

I have started my Christmas knitting. This is the first of the garments. I can post it on here as my sister in law doesn't read my blog. Things for other people knitted or crocheted later might come under the heading of secrecy and photos will have to follow later as both of my nieces occasionally read my blog. This cardigan is from a copy of Knit Today magazine that was kindly given to me by Vicky J. My niece chose it for her mum but I am not making it with the frilly collar. I will adapt it into just a plain neckline when I get up to that bit. I am also adapting the pattern from Rowan Kidsoft which is an aran thickness into a double knit one as my sister in law would think Kidsoft to be far too thick for a cardigan. I am using some rather lovely discontinued Jaeger Roma which I bought at a bargain price from Dunelm sale but shhh don't tell my sister in law. It is Viscose, nylon and Angora and the yarn is tubular and lovely to work with. I have done a little more than the photos show and have only got another inch or so up to the armholes. It is very slow going compared to my crochet.

Talking about crochet my friend Zuleika (Life in the Zu) sent me a link to a crochet granny square skirt by Doris Chan which although it isn't for me it led me to another site of free crochet patterns. Let's face it ladies - we all love free patterns. I have tried to post a link on here but I don't know if it has worked, If not I guess that you will have to cut and paste this link to see the free patterns

http://www.naturallycaron.com/projects/item_index/crochet.html

There are some lovely garments on it and like Ambermoggie I love the Belize Wrap and the Barcelona Jacket. I can feel a stash bust coming over me! Hold me back I am supposed to be making Christmas presents!

I got rather annoyed with my Sky last night as I was just up to the last 5 minutes of an old episode of Taggart that I hadn't seen and I really hadn't guessed whodunit when the rain came down hard and I lost my signal. Unless I see the episode listed again I have no chance of knowing who it was! I hate all this rain. Plays havoc with my TV viewing. Sky keep trying to tell me it is my top box or my dish to blame and want to either sell me a contract for £8.95 a month or charge me £65 for an engineer to come out. If it was my fault then how come the Sky box and dish work perfectly most of the time? They seemed more intent on selling me a new Sky digital plus box for around £200 fitted than bothering to find out what was wrong with mine. I can't even programme a video so why would I want a box that I can supposedly programme to watch every episode of something? If I am in then I watch it - if I am out then I don't and I miss it - it's a simple as that in my eyes.

Today I am trying to do a bit of house cleaning. My niece kindly came and pushed the hoover around for me but I need to do some tidying, dusting and bed making. The sun is actually shining today and I have risked the duvet set on the line.

I have rung my son to look out in Asda for a set of kids playmats to use as blocking boards. I can't find any in my local Tesco, Aldi or Lidl. I found some listed on the Early Learning site but they wanted £35 for 12 (enough for a super sized shawl for everyone?) but even those were out of stock. I found some on E bay for £14.95p but I objected to paying £8.25 postage so they will be my last choice. Everyone I speak to seems to have found them in their supermarkets without any trouble. I will just have to presume that the children of Manchester and Bury don't play and so don't need any mats! Perhaps they are tough nut kids who don't mind banging their heads on the floor. Having said that my son never had such luxuries but we did have good carpeting to fall on and not the hard laminate flooring so popular with the modern mums.

Finally some photos

Finally after many attempts some photos of Rah - Boom De - Ay that refused to be attached to the last post.

Rah Boom De Ay

The Rah Boom De Ay from the Everyday Crochet Book by Doris Chan is finished. Surprisingly I do like it although it is quite a bright red and the opportunities to wear it might be small. It's not exactly the sweater to wear whilst walking the dog or cleaning the house. It is not as unflattering in wear as I thought it would be. I thought that all the frills over the hips would make me look even bigger than I already am but the frills actually sit below the hip line. I will try to take some photos of it in wear but the light in this room is so dark because of all the rain lately and I have to use a web cam to take photos when I am wearing a garment. I will try to post photos of the sweater later as Blogger will not let me post the photos on this post.

I am knitting at the moment. The lacy cardigan from Knit Today for my sister in law. I will post photos of it tomorrow. I was struggling a bit with the lacy pattern until I re-wrote it on Microsoft word in bigger font and once the pattern was all on one line instead of broken up over 3 lines for each pattern row in the small columns of the magazine I was able to follow it easier. I really don't like the 4 columns per page format of the magazine. Two columns per page is far easier to read.

Last night I went out for a meal to Felicini in Eccles with the ladies from the Kings Arms to celebrate their first anniversary of the formation of the knit club. Most took their knitting but I didn't as I had just started the lacy cardigan and didn't feel confident enough about the pattern stitch to knit and chat. It was a good job that they took their knitting as we had a really long wait for our meal. Admittedly we did keep them waiting at first as we waited to order for Jane to arrive, who had to walk from Eccles tram stop, but the meal took so long to arrive we would have eaten the tablecloth if there had been one! Charlie picked me up and brought me home again. I was extremely grateful for the lift as otherwise I would not have been able to go. I would not have been up to the long walk from the tram station. My back is a bit sore today. I think it was sitting too long on the uncomfy restaurant chairs last night. I left with a rattan imprint on my thighs!

It's times like this that I am going to miss not having a car. I have made the decision to get rid of it as I have decided that I would rather spend my money on being able to turn on my heating this winter than struggle to keep a car on the road. It would need MOT, road tax and insurance to go back on the road. It will be tough for me to lose my Independence as I have owned a car since I was 17 and never been without one since but circumstances change and I have to cut my cloth according to my means as my mother would say. It will be public transport and taxis for me from now on. I have joked that not only am I looking for Prince Charming I am now looking for one with transport!

Tomorrow I will be taking the tram for the first time since my op as I have to go to the dentist in the morning. Eadaoin and Jen are coming to visit me in the afternoon so I will have a busy day. I like having company as it passes the day quicker for me. I do go out most days ,weather permitting, but I find it hard to drum up any interest in going for a walk in the pouring rain. The TV has just issued a severe weather warning about more rain coming so I had better check that the drain in front of my garage is clear of leaves and rubbish otherwise I get a duck pond in my driveway when it rains hard. I am not supposed to be pushing a brush around but I can't risk a flood.

The photo of me is courtesy of Eadaoin. She took her camera to the Knit Out on Sunday. I am wearing my Farpoint Topper and 3 chins. Obviously I haven't lost any weight since my operation yet!

Twiggy's Crochet suit from the 60-70's

Is this the crochet suit that you mean June?

Knit Out Sunday

Caroline came for me yesterday and gave me a lift up to the monthly Knitting Noras Knit Out in Bolton. We had a really good turn out. There seemed to be loads of us there and the weather stayed nice enough for us to sit outside although we did have to move further under the canopy at one stage as Eadaoin and Jen were getting rather wet when the heavens opened on them. I wore my Doris Chan Farpoint Topper. I must admit that when I made it I didn't think I would wear it and so far I have worn it quite a few times and it always gets admired. It felt so good to get out and about again and meet people. My back stayed fairly comfortable even sitting on cafe seats so I had a good time. I even went mad and treated myself to a Tuna Melt as well as a couple of Lattes. last of the big spenders!

Lisa had brought some very old patterns that she had bought from a charity shop and that got us chatting about old patterns in our stashes. As I am years older than most of the Noras and have inherited some of my patterns from my mother so some of mine are quite old. Today's photos are from a book called The Pictorial Guide to Modern Home Knitting which belonged originally to my maternal Grandmother and I remember it as an old battered book when I was a child so I would date it around 1940. The men look quite dashing and rather reminiscent of films like Brief Encounter and the ladies must have got up very early to get their hair in such elaborate coiffures. As for the Pixie Bonnet well I hope that you all will be making this fashion staple in time for the winter chills. I think that you can read the instructions if you look carefully enough

There are in the book patterns for knitted men's vests and combinations but only diagrams. I think they didn't want to inflame the senses of the 1940's ladies. There are however photos of the ladies vests, French knickers and American panties but not of course modelled on a person. Far too risque in those days.

I have been sorting through my crochet patterns from the 60's and 70's and have had many a laugh with crochet hot pants, tank tops and strange looking hats. I should start a vintage crochet section on my blog! I only wish I had photos that showed me wearing some of my creations but in those days we didn't have a camera so few photos exist of me in the 60's. Judging from the hot pant patterns, mini dresses and Mary Quant sweaters it's probably just as well!

My Rah Boom De Ay sweater is still progressing and now has 2 sleeves plus over large frilly cuffs and I am about half way down the body. I am still unsure if it will have frills around the hips. I probably will put the frill on as I have a feeling that the whole sweater is one that I will rarely wear anyway. Bright red with frills is a bit OTT for a pensioner?

I saw Vicky J at the Knit Out and now have the missing colour for the final 10 squares for her granny square shawl. I gave her the Cinnabar, Anisette vest and the Drops Circles Bolero and I could see from her face that she is of the same opinion as I am about the last one. I think I will finish my sweater before I return to her granny squares again as it is getting quite large and taking over my pouffe at the moment.

I just had to dash out and rescue my washing from the line. It was lovely and sunny when I put it out 15 mins ago and now the heavens have opened once again. The good old British Summer. I am not going for a walk today in this. I have a pot of Tesco home made style Broccoli and Stilton soup in the fridge and some nice bakery bread so I will have that for my dinner tonight.

Tonight it is the Knit Out at the Kings Arms and I have just had a reminder text from Rachael about it. I don't think I will be going as I think Charlie is away so I have no chance of a lift. I just don't feel up to getting there on public transport just yet. I would have quite a walk from the bus or tram and it's not in the best area of Salford for walking at night. I am going to miss my car for outings such as these but it can't be helped. I can't afford to keep a car on the road just to get me to my Knit Outs much as I enjoy them. I have done my sums and something has to give and unfortunately it will have to be the car. I am not only looking for a handsome Prince Charming to brighten my life but now I need one with a car as well. Stand back - there is a long queue forming at my door! - Yeah right I know - in my dreams.