Not much knitting done this week

There has not been much knitting done for a couple of days. Not only was the base of my thumb aching (arthritis I think) but I got sidetracked by an old school photo.

I recently started chatting through Facebook with an old school friend and we got talking about school reunions and old photos. He has lost all of his school photos and I only had 2 class photos as my full school photo had been lost a long time ago. He knew someone who had been at school at the same time as me and had a full photo. He kindly scanned it and sent a copy over to me. I have been poring over this photo for the last few days trying to put names to faces. He couldn't find me on the photo until I pointed myself out to him. I think my mother must have cut my hair as I have a rather alarming hairstyle that would not be out of place in the Adam's family. Why do I have a point in my fringe? I am sure it wasn't the fashion in 1960. He told me that there will be a school reunion in October so I am going to try to get to that as I have never been to one. I hope that people wear name badges or it could be very embarassing.

I have managed a small baby cardigan for my friend's foster baby. I have made it a slightly larger size than he is but I am sure he will soon grow into it.

Today I went to see my friend Charlie to hear all about her working charity trip to India. We had a good knit and natter and caught up with the news she had missed whilst she was away. She is going to get all of her photos into order and make a photo slide show for me to see next time.It sounds like a great charity and is making a big difference to the education of Indian children.

Tonight the Knitting Noras are having a bit of a press conference about the Naked Knitting Calendar. I could not be there as I don't go out alone on public transport after dark these days and it would have involved a tram and a couple of buses each way for me to get there. I will find out what went on and post an update on here tomorrow.

Doris Chan put a comment on Ravelry about my scalloped capelet and she likes it !!!

Scalloped Capelet after blocking

I have finished blocking the Superior capelet (well shawl in this case) and it is ready for my sister in law's 70th birthday. Her birthday is in danger of getting slightly overlooked this year as her daughter, my younger niece, is getting married 2 days afterwards. I wanted therefore to make her birthday a bit special so I will be buying her a present as well as presenting her with this shawl.

I can only thank Teresa (Skeinfest on Ravelry) for getting me the booklet Superior crochet so quickly in the US, and her husband who posted it to me from the UK, therefore making it possible for me to make the capelet. But for her I would still be searching for ways and means to get the pattern to the UK. I do get annoyed sometimes when I see wonderful patterns and then see that the stockist does not post outside the US. It's annoying to have to search online for other ways of getting my hands on certain patterns. Surely there are enough crocheters in the UK who buy patterns to warrant US companies posting to the UK or at least pointing people in the direction of a stockist in the UK who will import them for sale here.

Now all I need to do is decide on what I am going to be wearing for the wedding and make myself either a shawl or an openwork crochet cardigan that will take me through from the 4 pm wedding until the evening.

I started a knitted baby cardigan last night and have done the back and two fronts. Hopefully I will finish it by tomorrow so I will have something to photograph for tomorrow's blog.

I hesitate to say this but my cough seems to be improving. Shh I dare not say this too loud as I rejoiced once before and then it came back again a few days later. Fingers crossed everyone.

Scalloped Capelet finished

This is the Scalloped capelet from Superior Crochet, a booklet by Filatura Di Crosa, featuring designs by Doris Chan and Kristin Omdahl. This capelet is unmistakeably Doris's design. I made it with 5 balls of Sublime Kid Mohair and as it was slightly thicker than the wool specified on the pattern the capelet (or shawl as I am not going to link it together under the arms) has turned out slightly larger. I do crochet slightly slacker than tension and usually use a smaller hook to compensate for this but on this project I used the specified hook which probably accounts for it turning out a bit larger. Now it is blocking it is more of the size of the Blue Curacao. I think my sister in law will love it as it is very light and airy and yet I think will be warm because of the kid mohair.

I am starting next on some knitting for babies. I have a new 8lbs neighbour. A little girl called Megan who I want to make a bit of something for and one of the Noras is a foster mum with a new foster baby so he needs a cardigan or two.

The shed got Freecycled yesterday. A guy came with a Land rover and loaded it in so by this weekend it will be residing in someone else's garden. I think Freecycle is a great idea. The shed was old but had some life left in it. I didn't want it anymore and he did so we are both happy. If you are not a member of Freecycle and want to get rid of any unwanted furniture or household items then I hope that you will join and let someone else make use of your unwanted goods for free.

Sarah's knit and crochet bouquet

Today is Sarah Richard's funeral. Those of you who regularly read my blog will know who Sarah is. For those who don't Sarah was a co founder of the Knitting Noras in Bolton but was also well known for being a member of several other clubs which reflected her interest in crafts, fellow Vegans and her love of books and book crossing.

Whilst we Noras were all reeling from the shock of her sudden passing it was mentioned that it would be a good idea to make a knitted bouquet. That way all of the members could contribute by making flowers and stems to be combined into a bouquet. Sarah had been so touched by the Big Pink blanket that we had made when we all contributed pink squares. I was decided therefore, to make all the flowers in shades of pinks as Breast Cancer colour is pink.

I contributed a few crochet flowers but the team of Noras spent many hours making the stems and sewing the flowers together. I can only pick out a few names who are responsible for the artistic arrangement and finishing off so I hope I don't offend the ones whose names are not mentioned. Lisa, Vicky, Jen and Eadaoin are just four of the names of the artistic flower finishers. Please add any people I haven't mentioned in the comments.

I think the finished bouquets look blooming fantastic. I hope that Sarah's family like them. They have been made with love from the Noras for a fantastic lady who will be sadly missed. The bouquets have been expertly photographed by Vicky who has given permission for us to use the photos on our web pages and blogs.

Some members have managed to get to the funeral today. Others are having a Knit Out in her honour at the time of the funeral.

Farewell Sarah - you may be gone from us physically but you will never be gone from our memories

The shed has gone

My friend's son who is over from Spain to visit his parents took down my old garden shed for me. I have been wanting this shed removing for a long time as I don't use it and I wanted the space to maybe put a greenhouse there next year. I thought that I didn't use it but found all this paint inside it. Needless to say the paint is no longer usable and will be going in the bin pot by pot.

I advertised the shed on Freecycle as although it is old the wood is in reasonably good condition. It will need a new roof as one of the panels was a casualty of the dismantling. I am waiting for a guy to come and collect it and it's new home will be a community vegetable allotment. I am glad that someone can re-use it.

Needless to say I didn't get much crochet done as it was late when the work was finished. Today I am doing some housework and am going to see if my old electric floor cleaner still works ( that was in the shed also) on my kitchen floor.

Slow progress

I seem to be making slow progress on the capelet. I haven't been doing as much as my thumb is still a bit achy and the rows are getting larger and longer to do as the capelet gets wider and wider. You can see the shape of the pineapple emerging now plus the scallops that will form the edging.

I found one photo of my bedroom as it used to be with it's dark red voiles. Unfortunately both the little elephant and the elephant candle holder on the window sill have been broken. The multi coloured cushions also had elephants on them and beautiful tassels on each corner which my late cat used to love to eat so they are now faded with scraggy tassels. I still have a thing about elephants and have a few in my living room. They all face the door according to Feng Shui to show I am ready to go on a journey. My late sister in law used to have the most beautiful huge dark wood elephant in her hallway that she brought back from when she lived in Africa. It was large enough for the children to sit on and I really coveted that elephant although it was much too large for my house. I was so sad to find out that she had given it away to someone when she moved house. She said she didn't realise how much I liked it.

I haven't done anything today. A friend is over from Spain and he came to see if he could use my PC to check his e mails. We got chatting about old times when I used to child sit him as his mother dare not leave him and his brother alone in the house for fear they would kill each other! They still don't get on even now. He lives permanently in Spain and is just over to visit his parents but they are not on the Internet. he is here until Friday so no doubt he will be back again as he has bid on something on E bay.

Doris loves her pineapples

I have started the Scalloped Capelet from the Superior Crochet booklet. There is no mistaking who designed this. It has to be Doris Chan as she loves her pineapple design so much. If you read her blog though she says that they always remind her of little fishes.

I am making this with Sublime kid mohair Shade 025 and am still on my second ball. The capelet does go a lot wider in a similar shape to the Blue Curacao shawl so I imagine that it may take a lot of the 5 remaining balls before I finish it.

I took my crochet with me to the hospital today but didn't get much done. It was for my bone density scan and they took me out into the car park to be scanned in a van in a matter of minutes after I arrived. It wasn't one of those scary thread you down a tube scans I just had to lie on a bed whilst a small overhead scanner passed over me around the hip area. Apparently that is the best place to scan on a lady to see osteoporosis. The technician was quite enthralled by my back as she had never scanned anyone with pins and a plate in their back before so she asked did I mind if she had a closer look. I was quite comfy so I laid there with my feet propped on a big square cushion whilst she ooed and aahed with the other technician over my metalwork. At least I know she did a thorough job!

Vicky has updated the Naked Knitting Calendar page today with a lovely photo of herself. Lisa and Francesca. If you click on the blog title you can read all about the fun that they had on the first photo day. I only hope I look as gorgeous as they do when it's my turn. I suspect that I will need the whole shawl that is covering the three of them just to cover me!