Birthday Present

My friend Bev turned 60 on the 30th of March.

I offered to make her something nice and lacy.

She picked the Edwardian Lace Wrap from Heirloom Knitting : http://www.heirloom-knitting.co.uk/simply_stunning8.html

The easiest way to tell you if she liked it or not is in the following series of picures.

I think she was happy.

Let's see if this works

OK

I have not blogged in ages.

I have not posted much on Ravelry in ages.

I have done plenty of knitting but very little posting of finished items.

My step father died (at home - his home, not my home, thankfully, but still much more awkward than dying in hospital).

My mother now lives with me.

My good friend Georgia lost her battle with breast cancer.

I have been retrenched.

I have found a new job.

I have adopted a 3 week old kitten (now almost 5 weeks) and we are hand rearing it (you cannot tell gender this early with kittens - at least I can't).

I have been self-medicating the associated stress with chocolate and am approaching the point when my clothes will not fit any more.

I need to get off my rapidly expanding rear end and DO SOMETHING.

I have changed the template for this blog. Maybe that will help.

I went in to get some flannel

Arthur Bales is having a sale for the next two weeks. On my way home from work I popped in to get some flannel to make into a receiving blanket for my domestic worker who will be a mommy very soon.

I was also going to get some wool to make a Christmas present for Jackie's teacher. I planned on buying 4 balls of Jaeger Matchmaker. It was 50% off. I asked if they had more black as I could only find 2 balls. The nice lady said that they had no more, and that once the stock they had was sold they would not be getting any more as it was being discontinued.

I love this stuff. 3 balls will make a set of fingerless mitts and a scarf. 4 balls will make a set of fingerless mitts and a bigger scarf. I can think of lots of people I can make sets for with this lovely wool.

I set about getting as many balls in as many colourways as I liked (or could think of people who would like them). I took a basket full of wool to the till.

I bought 49 balls.

I did also get the flannel.

I am a HAPPY mommy

My daugher finally "clicked" on knitting today. I was having coffee with a friend (and crocheting). Friend - Maureen - was knitting. Jackie insisted that I get her some wool so she could do some finger knitting. Well, Maureen nipped down to the shop to get a few things and came back with some pretty little "kids knitting needles". I showed Jackie how to put her finger knitting on the needles and she carried on in garter stitch. Then she ripped everything out, got me to cast on 10 stitches for her, and she's been knitting on her scarf to be on and off for the rest of the day.

While I was at spinning this afternoon she even kept on knitting while watching Cartoon Network on TV.

I have been showing her the basics on and off ever since she showed an interest. This is the first time she's done so much in such a short time. Next she wants to be shown how to knit on four needles so she can make socks.

I think I have done SOMETHING right.

I have not been doing much blogging

But I have been doing quite a lot of knitting. I have also been doing a lot of work, studying, and being sick.

I am in the process of changing from a dial up to a high speed internet connection so soon I should be in the happy position where it takes me less than, well, forever, to upload photos and blog posts.

No guarantees of when, but I will get pics up soon, probably once I find where the camera cable has disappeared to AGAIN!

Just in time

Here are the latest pair of socks for my son. He has size 11 feet and yes, that IS a gameboy in the pic for scale.

These are also my socks for the October Sockalong at Sock Knitters Anonymous on Ravelry. I can't get into it right now so this will hopefully be enough evidence to convince them that I have indeed finished in time.



Trekking XXL, will edit to add the colour tomorrow, 2.5mm needles, pattern pretty much made up as I went along. Stitch is "Gingerbread Rib" from a book I borrowed from Miriam.

I reversed the cables on the second sock. Looks nice, hey?



Will post more tomorrow. Now off to watch 4 episodes of "Smallville" with the wearer of the socks.

Is this fair?

I went to the pulmonologist (sp?) today. I have had a bad run of sinus and bronchitus and can now no longer climb two flights of stairs of carry my daughter from her bedroom to the lounge without doing a good impersonation of Darth Vader.

I had a morning full of tests, more results to come, the good news is that I am not allergic to the most common allergens. Bad news is that I have "Late Onset Asthma".

I have probably smoked less than 10 cigarettes in my life (all when quite seriously drunk or feeling self destructive). It bugs the living daylights out of me that people who have spent YEARS voluntarily inhaling toxins have an easier time breathing than I do.

I now have drugs that I need to take morning and night and more drugs to take before exercise and if I feel my chest going all tight. I also have to run to the specialist if I get a chest infection as that could lead to the asthma getting out of control which could lead to my lungs being damaged.

Knitting content will return with the next post.