Knit 1 - Football 0

11 months later

2011-12-10T12:36:00.000-08:00

So much work, so much heartache but rewards too.

Mum is happy .. more happy and more secure than she has been for many years. She is warm, cosy, well fed, and no longer distressed. Her memory has stabilised and honestly, she's so much better.

I've had a wonderful year ... I've been to festivals, I've been camping, I've had time with my daughter, my son, and the kids. DH has stabilised, his granddaughter is charming and things are ticking over.

Of course the mean sister is still out there - her latest complaint revolves around the amount of money spent at Christmas ... she is jealous of the fact that other "families" get more. Mum has always gifted the person ... not the family. Who the hell says "this family has 1 child so each gets £60" "this family has 3 children so each gets £20" .. she is a mean hard woman. No happier for having

(a) got a wonderful husband

(b) got enough money

Her perception is, and always has been, coloured by what others may have that is more than she has.

I do feel for St Peter if she should die before her full 70 years are up .. his afterlife won't be worth living.

Anyway, she will moan and make discord, and it, in turn, will make others unhappy ... but it is almost Christmas, my mother is content ... and so (for now) am I.

Visit from the angry sister

2011-02-12T12:14:00.000-08:00

Here in pleasant valley life has been sort of moving in the right direction.

Hubby's meds are strengthening his heart.

Our little granddaughter is flourishing and is now 14 months. Her mum seems more in control of herself.

But

Mum's decline was increasing at speed. She wandered and had to be brought back. She forgot how to turn a key and got stuck between her porch and the front door, in freezing temperatures, and was only rescued because the neighbour was putting his rubbish out. She set fire to things on the hob, and dismantled her smoke alarms. She became increasingly incontinent. Her heating froze during the bad weather and she didn't realise, so she became hypothermic. She let "charity" collectors in at 7pm at night and gave them the contents of her purse ...

After being declared by the Consultant Psychiatrist for Later Life Mental Health as lacking capacity, I had to place her fast. She would be placed "for her safety" in a dementia or EMI unit the next time there was a crisis.

The issue was, she was being turned down by mixed units -the minute dementia was mentioned they wanted her in a dementia unit. Mum, despite her memory issues, is bright, intelligent, funny and feisty. She just cant remember a few minutes previously and she can't recognise danger.

So I battled hard and got her accepted into an award winning sheltered housing complex. She moved on Monday 31st January and has thrived. She loves it. She loves the company (she was on her own all evening most evenings), she loves having friends (carers) pop in on her to check on her. She loves having her own flat, with her own accommodation, and her own things and she is truly happy.

But, this is my life, so things are never straight forward.

The sister who lives in Australia, who never came to visit for over 5 years, who didn't come when mum was mugged, nor when mum broke her hip, suddenly decided that I had pressured Mum into a "home"

Exning Court ( http://www.housingcare.org/downloads/facilities/generated-brochures/116671-exning-court-exning-england.pdf ) is bright, airy, spacious, caring, loving and independence supporting. The staff are amazing, the grounds are stunning and Mum's flat is beautiful.

But, despite giving all the links, all the information I could, on Weds I got my sister's first email:

Hi all,

I am flying back to the UK to see mum next week. As long as all is well with her, I will only be in England for about a week. I would be obliged if you would all allow me to spend as much time with her as possible and rearrange anything you may have planned for the week of 14 - 20 February with her. Mum tells me she has an appointment with the doctor on Wednesday 16. I understand how difficult it is to rearrange those appointments so perhaps that one is best kept. I have spoken to Jacqueline separately about her weekend of 19/20 February.

Thank you all for your cooperation.

Now, this email wasn't even directly addressed to me. I was copied in. Somewhat hurt I still replied with a bright hopeful email

Hi Karen

I spent about five hours with Mum today and she was very excited that you would be flying over from “ooorstrayleearrr” to see her. She asked if I could get a small bed put in her room, so I suggested that you might want to use the guest suite along the hall (it’s only £5 per night).

She does have a couple of regular events that she wants to continue to do, but certainly you would be able do them with her. On Tuesdays she has her hair done in the hairdressing salon on site, and she would like to do that still if you are ok with it. I have asked the staff there and they would fit in an appointment to work around you if that is agreeable to you. On Fridays she has a day trip out to Newmarket Day Centre; the bus comes to pick her up and drops her back. She has another circle of friends there (including a Joan who comes from London and was born in 1928) She was keen to go to that again, and certainly the Day Centre would welcome you (lol, although it is for over 50’s I’m sure the average age is nearer 70!) if you wanted to go along.

As she said to you, she has a full health screening on the afternoon of Weds 16^th, and that would be difficult to rearrange; particularly as I need to get her repeat medications set up. Wednesday mornings typically I go and give the flat a thorough clean, but certainly can either leave that to you or do it when you have gone back.

Obviously I have to book her meals and carers, so for now I shall wait to hear from you as to how you want me to play that. At the moment she has a full cooked lunch Mon-Thurs and a tea “picnic party” in the evenings. Friday she goes to NDC, where she has her lunch and the weekends there are no meal arrangements as typically she will have visits\outings with the family.

Please do let me know how I can help, and whether you want me to book the guest suite (or get a small bed!!) so that you can maximise the time you can spend with her. Obviously it would have been lovely to have spent some time with you, but I truly understand your first priority must be spending time with Mum.

Travel safely

Chris x

Bit too desperate, perhaps, but I still don't understand why she was so angry. But .. this was the response

Hi Chris,

Nice of you to try and organise the details of my visit to mum, but I've got it covered. Thanks.

I'm delighted that mum is still as excited about my trip as she was when we spoke about it on Sunday evening. I suppose that's the nice thing about being forgetful, you get to experience all the good news over again. I should have had her write my sleeping arrangements in her calendar along with the dates of my visit so she won't be upset at me turning down the bed in her room again when I speak to her on Thursday again. She had already suggested both the bed in her room and the suite, and I'd turned down both.

I think for arrangements about what we will do during the week (apart from her medical visit), it will be best if mum and I work out what she wants to do when I arrive. She obviously isn't into a routine yet since she has been there less than two weeks and her previous routine was interrupted when she went into the care home. Let mum and I play it by ear, ok? If you email me the details of the Friday visit to NDC, then if mum tells me she wants to go next week I'll call and make whatever arrangements are needed. If mum wants her hair done then perhaps it can be their first appointment on Tuesday morning?

Since you are operating with mum's Power of Attorney, I know you are concerned about what money of mummy's to spend. However, as I don't really know what we will do until I have seen mum's state of health and mind I suggest that carer arrangements should stay as they are. I'll notify the home if there are any changes. Perhaps you could ask them to be flexible about meal arrangements? I am sure that they can manage to rustle up a meal if she requires it or throw one away if she doesn't.

What time is the medical appointment on Wednesday?

I'm not looking forward to the UK in February. I'm going to be brave in a minute and look at the temperatures.

Cheers
Karen

So, here I am, trying to ensure Mum is going to be ok for the next week, whilst I try to avoid my sister, who is angry at me ... and honestly guys I'm not sure why I feel guilty - I've been here, caring for my Mum, loving my Mum and supporting my Mum, all the while my sister has been enjoying her freedom in Australia. My Power of Attorney was first and foremost one for Health and Welfare. The Finance one came later, and Mum now is much better off since I have helped her out. The money comment is just plain mean and nasty: I've paid for most of Mum's care, hospital visits, food and clothing for the past 2 years.

Just send soothing thoughts to me, because I could cope with some virtual calming, for my Mum's benefit.

Hugs and hope life better with you

Train wreck

2010-07-18T12:20:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid and I went to the pictures (ok, movies or the cinema to those from a different culture or era) you knew something bad was gonna happen when the train was just chugging along smoothly ... before the bridge; before a crash, before a person strapped to the rails!

My life has been that serene train, before the huge issues: I've been chugging along, breezing over the weeds, avoiding leaves on the line, not killing\maiming\injuring the local wildlife - just chug, chug, chugging.

This last 18 months has been the finale, the wreck, the crash, the bridge explosion, the carriage upon carriage upon carriage concertina of destruction!

If I repeat the litany of events, it will seem Hollywood train crash - but here it goes, chug chug:

Madmother's decline; DH's daughter's alcoholism; Madmother's hip breaking accident; DH's daughter's pregnancy; chug chug; Madmother's increasing Alzheimers; DH's DD's attendance at intervention and AA meetings from her third trimester; Mum's slide into day care; DH's granddaughter born - Georgia (who seems AS free); DH's increasing indigestion problems, which weren't, metamorphosizing into Atrial Fibrillation, Mitral Valve prolapse and weak heart muscle issues; Madmother's increasing faecal incontinence (which she pretends doesn't exist); chug chug; brother-in-law's death from a heart attack at 61; his partner's stroke at the funeral; his partner's brother's death just 10 days later from an epileptic seizure; chug chug; DH's DD's partner has been identified as the father of a child by DNA testing, DH's DD and partner pay the CSA maintenance but ignore the paternity and the child, who apparently is "accident prone" and a regular visitor to the local A&E; chug chug; DH's meds give him dreadfully low blood pressure, affecting all manner of things from fatigue, to dizziness to more personal, body functional issues; chug chug; I have been diagnosed with late onset asthma and a stress related blood pressure issue; I have too much on plate after coping with housework, gardening and Madmother to go to knit night; chug chug; my DS is worried about how I will cope with his gorgeous beautiful twin daughters, he's hesitant about me having the girls to stay this summer ... bridge down, carriage after carriage collapse with me into the ravine ...

Dearest darling daughter is there to pour the water between my lips, to whisper words of encouragement, but I fear I am tied to the tracks and the next trainload of problems is just around the bend, chug chug, chug chug, chug chug

Rictus - fixed grin, or grimace!

2010-05-26T13:24:00.000-07:00

If Schadenfreude is your idea of a good time ... step right up .. this blog is for you.

In the past couple of weeks my favourite aunt of all time ever died ... I owed her a phone call; she was my link to my father\her brother who died through his own choice nearly 26 years ago. I feel I've now lost two and I don't have Jacqueline to talk to.

My mother struggles through the fog that is Alzheimers; she has good days, and bad. She sometimes is incontinent and rarely tells the truth.

My 61 year old brother-in-law has suffered a massive coronary on Monday just gone - his prognosis is appalling. His son is travelling and, as yet un-locatable. We hope he will be found before the expected unhappy ending.

Chris, the husband, is on a million medications and appeared to be doing better, but today his blood pressure has fallen too low, so may have to come off the medication meant to repair his heart damage. His dangerously irregular heart rhythm cannot be put right unless his heart walls and prolapsed valve can be strengthened. They will not be strengthened without the medication.

DH's DD has been drinking again.

I have been diagnosed with late onset, stress activated asthma - whoop!

However, my garden looks gorgeous - I love late Spring in the UK; my knitting keeps me sane, and my twins, always, are a delight. My daughter is without equal and I would hold her up as a balance to just about all the worlds ills, so blessings I will count, sunshine and flowers I shall enjoy, and love I am sending out to you ... just pass the happiness on and stow the crap. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger - allegedly :)

xxx

Nearing the end of a decade

2010-03-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

Well, from close of play tonight I'm just 365 days away from the turn of a decade. Decade turns have always horrified me ... no longer in your teens, no longer in your twenties, then the crap starts ... no longer in your thirties ... how do you cope? (OK I know it goes on some from the count up, but I was depressed enough there!)

I thought I would say what has happened in this past week, in this past month, in this past year, and whilst I'd love to tell you of the rest of this past decade we would then be here some time!

This week, DH was released (on probation, you might say) from hospital. He didn't have severe indigestion, or IBS or excess acid, he had atrial fibrillation (a wickedly erratic heartbeat which caused the mad dash to A&E not long after my last post), caused by heart congestion, a prolapsed mitral valve and pressure on the chamber of the heart that has caused the muscle to weaken and distort. Right now he is on warfarin, to thin the blood, ACE inhibitors to help the muscle consolidate and stop it weakening further, beta blockers and digitalis to try to slow the heart rate, thiamin and strong vitamin b compound tablets to help his liver, and finally a simple ant-acid dose of Gaviscon to soothe any indigestion. When his blood is thin enough (we are attending the Warfarin clinic 3 times a week for blood work testing) he will have an angiogram to analyse the state of his arteries - some plaque is suspected - and perhaps have cardioversion - electric shock treatment to the heart - to reinstate sinus (normal) rhythm to his heart. He may need angioplasty if the arteries are clogged, he may need valve replacement, the next few weeks will tell.

So the past month has seen me as nurse, medicator, chauffeur and confidante. (Won't bother to list the details of all the other roles that get offset to women - you know anyway).

MadMother has been distressed because she knows DH is ill, but I'm shielding her from the details - she will worry with or without full disclosure, less I hope for knowing less. In this past year she has broken her hip and had her alzheimers diagnosed. I have enrolled her at 3 day care sessions, and she has found new friends, to replace those who have died or moved away into more sheltered housing, and new interests. She has forgotten old skills, and has forgotten to be safety conscious. I have been to rescue her from our local hospital so often the nurses recognise me. Still, she is no longer depressed or lonely and her mental deterioration has slowed enormously.

The past year has seen my knitting stash grow like a well cultivated crop, well that's apt then, it is a well cultivated crop. I've learned new cast ons, and I've increased my ability at ultra fine lace knitting, whilst churning out socks like I have to clad the world. For the second year running I made all my friends and family a hand knitted Christmas gift. I've joined sock clubs, a lace club and a blanket club. I've joined a new knitting group and made new friends. I've met up with old friends and gone to Harrogate for knitting meet ups, I've put friends on hold whilst my life spins and I try to control the skidding. I read other people's blogs as a life saver - to take me away from my anxiety, and I'm relying on snail mail post from a friend whom I struggle to answer.

DH's daughter has been diagnosed as an alcoholic and she has successfully been off the booze for 5 months now. Her 3 month old daughter seems ok, putting on weight and thriving; time will tell if she has dodged the foetal alcohol syndrome bullet, but my fingers are crossed and holding.

My own DS's twins are divine, I went on holiday with them in August, and they were a joy. As my problems have increased I have seen them less, but oh my god how I miss them.

On Mother's Day this year, DH was in hospital in the cardiac unit, I was exhausted and tearful at the drain and pain of the previous months, when my gorgeous, wonderful daughter turned up at early o'clock. She had driven for an hour and a quarter to get to my house in time to make me a mother's day morning cup of tea; she had brought breakfast- eggs and croissants; she had brought gorgeous little knitting gifts. But the best gift of all, apart from the whole thought and deed, was home-made chicken soup. She had stayed up til almost midnight the night before making me soup, so that I would have something nourishing and comforting when I got home from the hospital after late evening visiting. I know how lucky I am and it makes me tearful. Really, seriously, distressingly happy but tearful.

This time last year I had a lump in my breast, ultrasound and a biopsy - the lump is benign. This time last year I was packing to jump on a plane and fly around the world to see a dear sister get married to a wonderful man. I spent hours on a plane and days making a house fit for a wedding, and I am pleased I was there for her. This time last year I was thinking life would slow down - HUH!

Life has been stressful and tiring, I have had the love and support of friends, family and the most wonderful daughter. If you have read this far, then thank you for hanging in there with me. I count you as friends, when you send comfort as a post, and support as a tweet.

Happy Birthday to me, for tomorrow. Virtual cake and bubbly to you all.

DH's drug issues!

2010-03-11T12:35:00.000-08:00

Life has frantic of late but, whilst I have been knitting without stopping as my very sanity is dependent on the stress relief I get from it, there has been little photographic evidence that has made it from my phone or my camera to my computer.

As I felt the need to blog I thought I would share this photo with you. It is my most favourited project on Ravelry, and it is most beloved by my DD's cat Yoyo. Yoyo drags the fairy around with her and her once sleek blond hair is now well loved and dribbled upon. I like it that the cat appreciates my knitting!

Meanwhile today I drove the 16 mile round trip to my GP's practice 3 times: I took DH for his 9.10 appointment, sat in a cold car knitting for 20 mins, then DH appeared without having seen the doctor as he had been called away on an emergency. At home an hour later the surgery telephoned to say the GP was back and DH should scoot on down there - round trip no 2. The GP doubled the beta blocker dosage, doubled the PPI (protein pump inhibitor) dosage, doubled the renitidin (?) anti indigestion med, changed his soluble aspirin for a coated one, to try and reduce the adverse effect it was having on his stomach whilst maintaining the anti clot action and recommended regular paracetamol.

Four hours later DH in ever increasing pain and gets another appointment for 6pm this evening - the dreaded but wonderful emergency time. Journey to surgery and back - another 16 mile round trip. Extra drugs dispensed, to reduce bowel spasms.

Home, I'm self medicating with a glass of red and YH's Earl Grey socks for DD's partner's birthday in the lovely DIC Smooshy, blue lagoon. Missed my Knit and Natter evening, bugger.

On the bright side - MMother sounded chirpy again tonight - I love it when she's happy and hanging in there!

Sending love, please send chocolate, red wine and hugs by return please, seriously, please, now!

Not so easy jetting.

2010-03-09T12:59:00.000-08:00

Life is sometimes a little too interesting. Lately, like this past couple of years, it's been too interesting and too complicated.

We flew to Spain for a quick respite break and, thanks to the wonderful people at Easyjet who cancelled our plane after technical difficulties, we spent 3 hours waiting for the flight, one our collecting our embarked then disembarked luggage, and 4 hours queuing to get a replacement flight. So, after around 10 hours at Alicante airport we had a flight for 2 days later, four cancelled appointments, a distressed madmother, who didn't know why I wasn't visiting or talking to her, an extra car hire bill of Euro 150 and aggravation from Easyjet customer service who appear not to want to abide by the terms of European legislation, particularly EU Regulation 261/2004 which says that Euro 400 should be payable to customers who have been denied flights. Automatic compensation - not claimed for; not argued about but payable. The "debate" rages on. But for now, my personal opinion, avoid any "service" that doesn't offer customer service.

Meanwhile DH's indigestion was getting worse, it became compounded by a gastric bug which gave him "traveller's diarheaa" Lovely! This was so bad that it affected his heart, and he now has atrial fibrillation which, coupled, with his slight heart murmur, has left him debilitated, breathless and weak. Once home the GP has popped him on beta blockers, asprin (totally aggravating the indigestion) and now PPIs to reduce the acid and hopefully diminish the acid levels in his stomach.

I've got a cold. Poor me. It's only a cold, but instead of being able to mope and keep warm I'm playing nurse to a sickly husband and minder to a mad mother.

All bad things have a silver lining and the knitting is yomping home. on 3rd pair of socks ... the latest for "son-in-law", ie partner of daughter, whose birthday is next monday. Also going well is the Aeolian shawl, Kingscot, DA's mystery blanket, and sock of the month club.

Meanwhile, as I have no knitting photos to show you, here's one of MM herself ... slightly puzzled as to why I am pointing a phone at her!!

I've met up with a lovely friend, whose Mother is waiting for the results of investigative tests, and my fingers are crossed for the results of that. She's a knitter too ... we agreed, like so many others, that knitting keeps us (almost) sane during stressful times.

So wherever you, and whatever you are knitting, or frogging, or sewing up, or contemplating, may the needles treat you kindly.

Love and hugs

More goose, much cat sitting, most everything

2010-02-14T11:05:00.000-08:00

So, the goose lived, despite the lack of help from RSPB and RSPCA, we shepherded him\her into the garage overnight, so s\he could recover from his head injury (which you can see if you enlarge the photo)

The next morning, goose recuperated under the bird table, and later stretched legs and wings by walking about for a while.

Then just before departure goose wandered around, still not having made any hissing or squarking, pooped a bit, then flew.

Wherever goose is we miss him.

Meanwhile, joined a new local knitting group, managed mother best I can, am babysitting kittens whilst my lovely DD is in Sweden for Valentines Day. had DH's GD for 2 hours whilst her Mum and Dad did something (not quite sure of details and no thank yous as yet forthcoming), had Mad Mother her for weekend ...

finished one pair of socks, 3 squares for blanket, started 2 new pairs of socks, knitted back and most of 2 fronts on grey Kingscot cardi for me, cooked a bit, drank a bit, and longed for sunshine a lot.

Sending hugs, valentine wishes and Gung Hay Fat Choy - Happy new year, it's a tiger!

xxx

Seriously silly week

2010-01-31T12:14:00.001-08:00

MMother set her alarm off twice more ... she now regularly talks to the wall - she has no idea who is asking her if she is all right, but she talks politely back. The alarm is situated next to the phone ... but even after nearly a year, she's not quite twigged it yet.

On Thursday afternoon I spent an hour and a half at the audiology clinic, to get her a new hearing aid ... which she will lose, trash, deny she ever had, or swear she doesn't need.

On Friday I telephoned to tell her I would be over first thing on Saturday morning with shopping for my sister's visit this weekend (this sister has to travel from her current role in Leeds by Network Rail, mmm, to Brandon!) and that I would also bring her hearing aid.

On Saturday I am heading to pick up sister from Brandon station and take her to MM's, along with shopping and hearing aid. Needless to say NRail delays mean sister is delayed. I try to ring MM - no answer.

Having picked sister up we are heading to MM's house when we get call from paramedics, MM on her way to hospital she's had "funny turn" After 6 hours at West Suffolk she is discharged - she had walked too far and had a panic attack. I get home at 7pm having eaten nothing all day. (West Suffolk has norovirus so I didn't want to take the risk!) Worst thing ... hadn't taken knitting as I was driving ... so nothing to do for the 6 hours!!!

Today was RSPB BigGarden Birdwatch day ... perfect I thought for chilling out - just sitting and counting feathery things for an hour, knitting my KLC Rumpled socks (first project of the sock club this year) ...

Was toying with grabbing glass of wine to go with the spanish beef casserole I was cooking, when ....

Life just gets weirder … I swear I’m living in someone’s bizarre imagination.

there was a very loud bang, the windows vibrated. A goose had flown into house. Seriously! Went outside, Goose is at least 1m+ tall and staggering. I back off fast.

He (or she, who knows with geese) sits down in lavender bed and stares at me. No sign of blood or damage … Goose seems confused, but again who knows how non confused geese act? Later goose gets up, staggers across drive (bumping into DH’s large and unmissable car - obviously!) then climbs into lavender bed on other side of drive. Goose now has thing for lavender!!

I spoken to RSPB, who told me to ring RSPCA. I spoke to RSPCA who told me to leave it until morning. Goose now snuggling up to largest lavender bush.

My conspiracy theory is that the goose had come to check out humans after humans had been checking out birds all weekend! He\She is still out there … do you think it wants wine or knitting to while away the time?

And Happy New Year, etc, etc, etc

2010-01-21T12:26:00.000-08:00

So, my last post was in September ... what has happened since then? Well October, November and December since you ask ... also half of January.

DH's daughter went on an AA\detox course... she endured and passed. She has been sober since the beginning of September. On 1 January baby daughter Georgia was born .. who looks lovely and whom we have our fingers crossed for. Wrap is lovely soft merino wrap in Feather and Fan pattern, knitted by me, worn by Georgia.

Meanwhile, MMother has not got better, but may have become less aggressive .. which is better for me ...

My DD has been appointed the youngest ever AST - Advanced Skills Teacher - which is so deserved as she works enormously hard at giving each and every child all the opportunities she can possibly open up for them ...

I knitted more gifts this Christmas than I did last Christmas, which means if I want to say that again next year I have to start knitting soon ...

and I joined 2 sock clubs, one mystery blanket club and a lace club and I'm still here typing on t'internet so not enough knitting deadline yet!!

Love hugs and sorry ... I really have missed blogging

Soctopuses, sausage fruits and sagacity

2009-09-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

Life is a series of moments and now is now, while the last now is gone. If that makes no sense then welcome to my world.

The cough survived the antibiotics, laughed at them in fact and grew stronger. So I have been for an xray and tomorrow am off to discuss the result and to ascertain what I can take that will kick the damn cough into touch.

Meanwhile the garden has gone loopy: I have carrots that weigh 450 grams each ... are they edible that size? Also, I have the weirdest sausage tree, look:-

It's akebia quintata (5 leaves chocolate vine) in fruit ... honestly this odd plant has produced slightly unusual, somewhat disturbingly shaped and coloured fruit. However, it has been ripening in the sun (hah! what I would give to be a plant or a cat!) and today just split that teensy bit that showed it was perfectly ripe.

Edible, apparently, so I tried it ...

and actually, it's rather lovely! It's slightly sweet and elegant, rather like a non cold sorbet. It reminds me of passion fruit, except way less the colour of frog spawn! Although way more disturbing in terms of shape and colour.

Meanwhile, on another planet, MadMother has been driving me demented -- however, the nurse for Geriatric Mental Health has proposed a visit by the Consultant for Geriatric Mental Health and, fingers crossed, I am hoping that there may be a recommendation for anti-dementia drugs, within UK NICE guidelines, that may just aid my sanity and slow my mother's deterioration. More updates to follow after visit on Thursday 24th.

Finally, the most amazing news ... in the midst of mayhem and madness ... I entered Alice from Soctopus's competition www.socktopus.co.uk/blog/ . I want, I want, I WANT! subscription to KnitLoveSock Club 2010 so put my name down for the ballot. There was a twitter competition ... I entered and

TADA .... WON ... woo woo wooo hoo.

So!!! I now have a year's free membership - yep patterns, yarn and Socks!! Way to go and thank you so much Alice!

There is more to tell, like the madness of making kilos of damson jam (even though I don't eat jam) just to be productive and not to waste a crop the likes of which have not been seen before in this garden; the making of twin "pretty in pink" cardi's - so good I knitted them twice; the traumas of hubby's hopes to buy a small home from home in Spain; the pain of the fear that comes with SD's decision to continue her pregnancy despite her alcoholism; my pride in my DD for her hardwork and progress with the able and less able in her teaching career ...

But I have to blog more often or I have to choose how long these notes can be - so, for now, I shall send love, hugs and soft warm beautiful yarn hugs to you all. Silk, alpaca, qiviut and baby merino to you all and a small kiss on the cheek too. Whatever you are doing, here's a small spoonful of love to stir into the mix

xxx

And the beat goes on ....

2009-09-07T14:50:00.000-07:00

... Although the pressure required to make the beat is way higher than it should be!

After another bad MM day on Friday, when she shouted at me, at the GP and the social worker, I left her, distressed and coughing, exhausted and all but beaten. I booked a late appointment at my GP and, despite my fears I would be dismissed with "post viral, take paracetamol and live with it" I went in and explained the nearly 5 week long cough, headache and fatigue.

The cough is a crackle in my lungs ... hopefully some antibiotics will clear it. The headache may be tension, or it may be sky-high blood pressure! I never have high blood pressure, low blood pressure is my body norm, but no ... stratospheric it was.

So, I am attempting relaxation techniques.

Attempting though as DH's DD remains a problem, I still worry about MM and now I worry about my blood pressure ... arrrgh.

Altogether now close eyes, think beach, hear the waves, breath in deeply through the nose ..............

....

and out!

Sometimes, just sometimes, hubby gets it right

2009-08-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

I am all but dead ... being a zombie would be so much easier. I am tired, exhausted, fatigued and falling down drop dead bloody worn out. I am run ragged and on reactive respond mode.

MadMother has become so difficult I am thinking of moving away, for ever, with no forwarding address. So, when I got home on Friday and hubby told me he had a plan, I just nodded, cooked, ate, had glass of wine, went to bed.

When I got home on Saturday he had built a masterpiece. I now have a yarn room. A YARN ROOM! Not just stuff squeezed in a wardrobe, not just a cupboard ... but this ....

He knows that the OCD in me gets very anxious when I have no control over things in my life. He knows that the thing that soothes me is organising and controlling.

I had the best weekend for ages ... even though the weekend was only Saturday evening and Sunday morning.

I sorted; I organised; I labelled and I printed lists (not least the stash list from Ravelry). It was the best time I have had for at least six weeks.

My books are organised, my yarn is organised, my needles are organised and even my buttons are organised ....

Look .....

I have control, I have power. I don't have total control but I have some ... and do you know some is better than none.

Do you know what else ...

Sometimes, just sometimes, hubby gets it REALLY right! Thank you.

Interesting times

2009-08-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

So where have I been I hear the clamouring voices (ok 10 words in and I have already admitted to hearing voices, whoops!) ...

Well, the old chinese curse is may you live in interesting times. Now all I have to do is find and kill the old chinese person who cursed me - interesting times indeed!

Life has become a soap opera. My husband's daughter announced she was an alcoholic (here I should say we had already noticed), announced that she was going to go to AA meetings (but didn't) then a couple of weeks later announced she was pregnant. He now has a daughter whose drinking binges lasts for days, a potential grandchild being drowned in copious, regular drinking bouts also being subject to 30 cigarettes a day, and he is distraut. Meanwhile his daughter's drinking has been so out of control she has been arrested and held overnight in the local police station ... what hope for the child? Having searched out Fetal Alcohol Syndrome I am crushed with despair for the future of this tiny abused foetus.

My mother has been having her own soap opera ... I have taken her to dermatology appointments (pre cancerous cells caught in time and zapped with liquid nitrogen); audiology - her hearing is no worse but she still keeps murdering hearing aids; the "eye" clinic - not only does she have glaucoma but is developing cataracts; and to the GP for her short term memory issues and habit of falling over (no alcohol involved).

However 3+ weeks ago she fell and broke her hip; so I have spent 21 days, £55 on parking, about £90 on fuel and visited her 3 times a day in hospital. I've done her washing, and written her notes about her exercises (referring to her notes helps her memory issues), I've chased the physios to push her, the Occupational Therapists to supply her with aids and I've kept her chin up. One sister has been supportive by cleaning her house, clearing paths and complementing my visits. The sister in Oz has sent love and fruit. Another sister has come and spent the past few days staying in her house after MMs discharge. Meanwhile I have been rounding up home aids, like carers, extra equipment, district nurse, physios etc. Happy Days!

My dearest Daughter's BF's grandfather has had a chest infection whilst in Austria, which led to a stroke and DD's BF's Dad has flown out there to be with him, missing family celebrations for his 50th birthday.

My DIL's favourite aunt has just discovered a lymph cancer at the distressingly young age of 52 and is waiting for a full body scan tomorrow to ascertain whether it is contained or is migrating.

Hold on there is more ... I have 4 sisters and a brother and there has been some falling out over the approach to adopt with my mother. I have a husband with whom I am perpetually arguing .. my problems or his both being too heavy to carry without rancour.

However ... I am knitting like my life depends on it (which it probably does) so sometime will upload the squillions and trillions of knitted things that I have cast on, knitted, cast off and sewn up ....

Meanwhile ... thanks for letting me take the load off and if you do have any spare fingers please keep them crossed for me, I could really do with a lightening of the load.

Love hugs and hoping for kisses back

xxx

Who is mad?

2009-05-15T12:30:00.001-07:00

MM broke her hearing aid, whether wilfully or accidentally I know not. But I do know it was murdered and, without it in she is murder!

So, today, I took it along to the local hospital where there is a "drop in" repair session every afternoon between 2 and 4 pm. I sat there, along with the cast of Cocoon. You come in, take a ticket - rather like those at the deli counter in the supermarket, and wait your turn. My number was 70.

"70" was called by a pleasant looking attendant, "Booth 3" she said loudly, followed by "What's the problem?" "My mother's hearing aid is broken" I replied. "Sorry, about that" she replied "many of our clients can't hear and we have to shout!"

She then told me that my mother had inflicted a cruel and unusual torture on the poor implement - she had virtually ripped the battery holder, hinge and connections from their socket. The technician was bemused that an 80yr old had the strength to inflict such carnage. She obviously has never met MM. So she went off, got a new hearing aid to attach to the ear piece - then with the most amazing computer interface aligned the hearing aid to the computer diagnostic of MM's hearing - amazing. She gave me new batteries and suggested it might be best if I hide these from MM and in future I replace them. OK. So now I have a new job every week - replace batteries, instruct MM against wanton and cruel torture of her hearing aid, and check the damn thing is clean.

On the way back on what was a sunny May afternoon, I realised that I had spent it inside ... waiting on (excellent) repairs to MM's hearing aid. Where was she, you may ask? At the blooming seaside on a jolly with her geriatric and some friends, having fish and chips and a "small" glass of wine ...

Tell me ... who's mad??

Over 80 support group

2009-05-13T13:43:00.000-07:00

There are days, and this is one of them, when you know your purpose in life is to be a supporting player.

Today, on my way to meet MM, I met my 84.5 year old neighbour. He's selling up and moving south, to be in a secure gated community some 3 miles from his only son. The neighbour, Peter, is an ex WW2 fighter pilot, widowed some 7 years ago, who keeps a very neat and tidy house, who paints amazing water colours and some less than perfect oils; who makes me smile, but who is throwing in the towel on independance. He also shared the awkward news that another neighbour has major kidney failure and requires regular dialysis - the poor wife is struggling, herself aging and trying to be 100% perfect in a carer's role.

MM, when I met her, was struggling and therefore, by association, so was I. She perhaps had forgotten her tablets, so her grasp on life was slippy, but she was pleased to see me; as I was her. Still, the letters she sent me when I was young, the words she sang to console me, the times she hugged me and hummed my name ... all those things are out there binding me to her and giving me the encouragement to support her. I took her home, hugged her, chatted to her cat, and drove home in tears.

Later I had a phone call from my late Dad's sister, who is now 83. Jacqueline is well and fairly chirpy but begging me to visit her before she dies. I don't know how I quite answered that plea ... but still, tonight, I've been checking the cost of flights from here in the UK to Washington where she lives. How can I refuse her?

Thank goodness for the numbing mindlessness of daft online games like Zuma .. my current highest score 111,076, and for a lovely glass of wine. Thank goodness for online friends who don't know me, so the guilt associated with remarks such as this is less ... I don't know you for real, so this isn't wholly disloyal. Thank goodness for earphones and music, and indeed for ITunes Genius which does actually provide some pretty amazing playlists based on one song.

Haven't had the stamina to ring friends, haven't had the enthusiasm to pick up the knitting ... but hey dear blog still have the hope that lets me post the words and cast them out to the world.

Whatever you are doing and whomever you are doing it with have fun and have a little bit extra for me ...

Sending hugs

Phone calls from the hedge

2009-05-12T13:38:00.001-07:00

So, this is MM (Mad Mother) who has had a great 80th birthday week-long celebration. However, just to make things a little more interesting for me she has stopped taking her tablets.

The tablets are to allieviate mood swings and depression; so today she telephoned her surgery to cancel a prebooked appointment at the hospital (for a hearing aid check up) - she told them she didn't want it, couldn't make it and they needn't ring me because I had dashed back to Australia.

Of course they did ring me, and I said I would sort it. MM has denied the whole thing. Then she told me she wants to go to the bank to check it hasn't been losing her money, and she wants to do that with me tomorrow. (The bank is as sound and honourable as it is possible for a UK bank to be). I am really looking forward to the cringe factor.

She asked me to feed a cat balloon a tin of sardines - I thought she was joking so laughed. She wasnt and became very annoyed.

This is all succinct, but the whole rambling conversations went round and round and round and round. Tomorrow I will go and check her tablets and if she has forgotten to take tomorrow's I may

just use them as a suppository for her!

Meanwhile this is DGD no1, Ellie, in her favourite cardigan :) playing cricket ... in the garden when my DS, DIL, 2 DGDs, DD & BF, 2 cats, my DH, MM and I had Mum's fourth 80th birthday party!

This is DGD no 2 (some 10 mins younger) Beth, in her favourite cardigan cat sitting (it was YoYo's first wander around my garden).

This is son and SIL, taken by one of the DGDs

This is DD and BF taking the cat for a

wander ...

The game of cricket ...

and she's out!

Fantastic day ... nice enough to smooth over bad memories ... nice enough to remember for a long while!

Meanwhile, wherever you are and whatever you are doing, keep the good memories on file and bin the rest.

Sending hugs

Say hi to the pretty things

2009-05-05T13:51:00.000-07:00

Well, not difficult to tell where I was when I found this pair ... but they hadn't seen any yarn shops and despite a perfect place to stash a project, they didn't seem to have any work in progress ...

And although hard to see, Koala is there, sleeping in the tree, so no socks or sweaters there either ...

The ibis were happy

playing and paddling ... no knitting ...

The lizard was just catching the rays ...

The brush turkey (AKA bush turkey) was very happy ... a protected species and allowed to wander without fear of cranberry sauce ... but definitely not a yarn addict

And a pair of homo barbequiens laetus maritum novitor (thank god there are no romans around to criticise my awful latin!) ... who were so busy with each other, being married and cooking breakfast that they had no time for knitting and are now convinced knitting is something you do when deprived of a partner and conjugal rights .. (actually let's not even go there!).

So that left me ... knitting and photographing all the amazing wild life that just wanders ... no zoo just out there. Of course I did do a little surfing (yay dude get me!!) and sailing, swimming and walking .... but when I got a little bit in need of something to be nice to me I got out my silk and merino!

I'd go back in a heartbeat ... but the knitting comes too!

A wedding, an 80th, a 60th and an honorable mention!

2009-05-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

Well, this is the wedding I nearly never made. I live about 60 miles from Heathrow airport, so in good faith and anticipation I left home 5 hours before my flight was due ... yes 5 hours! That was to allow 2 hours to get there (no seriously, even at 30 miles an hour ...) and 3 hours to check in.

Of course I travelled via the road from hell, aka M25 - London's orbital ring road - DO NOT USE THIS ROAD ever. Motorway my arse ... it's a carpark. On the day in question some fool had decided to trash his car at the M25 junction with Heathrow. There was a 30+ mile traffic jam ... with 4 hour delays reported. Arrrrrrgh. After racing up and down tiny roads, along with every other car who wanted off the road from hell, I arrived at Heathrow with 25 minutes before the flight was due to take off. The desk was shut, but a hugely kind Malaysian Airline check in girl took one look at my red face and sobs and took my bags ... she got 2 burly security guys to rush me through security and race for the gate .. of course it was the gate 43 - the furthest from the terminal! I made it but only because of the kindness of the check in staff.

This is my little bride and groom gift ... not quite Karen and Andrew, but much loved all the same, as was the gift of funds from the family that I took out with me.

The day was gorgeous - the preceding 7 had been torrential rain, so someone somewhere heard a prayer!

And this is the result of much hard work, I was out there to help my sister get married and to cater! She's a veggie, so I did the boned and stuffed turkey and, with less than an hour to spare was still de-shelling 2 kg of prawns - I was aromatic! It was accompanied by all manner of delicious salads and veggie dishes ... as well as intoxicated fruit salad which was happy to the tune of half a bottle of rum - yum!

At the end of the evening, I got rather carried away .. perhaps I should have been carried off! But I did my "I'm here to stand beside my sister as she gets married, and represent all her family" speech with enthusiasm, passion (and probably several glasses of champagne inside me).

After the wedding I took time out to do some traditional Aussie things, we BBQ'd on the pristine and free outdoor barbies; we sailed on Drew's boat; I attempted surfing without too much bodily damage and, of course, the knitting and Ravelry bag came too.

Do you know ... the UK weather just sucks after sub tropical Queensland, although we do have yarn shops to compensate - they seem to be missing over there!

On Wednesday it will be my mother's 80th birthday ... do feel free to shout out "Happy 80th Joan" if you should see her on 6th May.

Another of my sisters (I have so many it is embarrassing and don't blame me it's all my mother's fault) put on a birthday lunch yesterday (Sunday). Thank you Jacqueline who hosted family and friends to a rather yummy lunch - and this is my mother ... happy and enjoying the company (and possibly a small glass of sweet wine!).

I shall be taking her to lunch on Wednesday, the actual day, and then hosting another get togetheron Saturday for my kids and their families, who couldn't make Sunday.

Tomorrow, however, I'm cooking lunch (do I ever have a social occasion without food?)(yes, but never without wine!!) for my friend's 60th and I'm expecting that Hilary will get giggly, Treez will be droll and I shall be snapping a photo or two!

Finally an acceptance speech - thank you - to Sheila and to Suse-the-slow for their kind remarks, and to SMP for making me say "holy crap".

oh, and by the way, the project count is now up to 6 on the go (not counting those that have gone into hiding) and I have to finish one for my mother by Wednesday, so why am I still blogging ?????

Love and hugs and sunshine

xxx

14 hours 45 minutes and counting!

2009-03-31T12:42:00.001-07:00

Am off to Oz from the UK, seriously 1st April no joke, and cannot imagine the torture of not being able to knit during the most tedious of flights … so I have packed wooden needles, bamboo needles, yarn and the teensiest DPNs I can find along with some pencils which have a gauge of about 7mm - I am going to knit!!

Here’s the irony … Australia supplies one quarter of the world’s yarn .. but is the most stringent in banning needles … doh!

I am hoping to knit:

a garter

some socks

a Debbie Bliss cardigan

FLsweater

Depending on what knitting implements I am left with!

I have 1000 yards of Sundara Fingering silky merino in wine, 100 grams of Loutrais Mohair fingering in baby blue, some pale blue fine ribbon and a whole heap of patience (just not enough patience to see me through a 25 hour flight with just bubble gum tv and crap food).

When I will next blog I don't know .. but hopefully soon I will have photos of a real bride and a real groom in a lovely garden in Oz ...

Love and hugs

xxx

(and thanks for all the suggestions on what I should knit and how I get passed over-officious security folk; will pass on the smuggling DPNs in underwear!)

Bride Groom and Bat-eared Bunny

2009-03-28T15:22:00.000-07:00

So, at last, the groom is sewn and stuffed. He has a goatee, like the real groom and the hair colour match is pretty realistic!

He has a teeny tiny cravat pin, wing collar on his shirt and a flower matching the ones in the brides bouquet ... aren't they dapper!

I just hope the real groom will be as protective of my sister, the bride, as this groom is of his.

Meanwhile, I have been celebrating my birthday, perhaps with a little more fervour and champagne than government guidelines suggest is good for me; but hey it was good quality champagne, it lasted all day and it made me happy. And, lovely as it was, it's not going to be repeated for a bit of a while :(

One special gift was from a dear friend, who crocheted me a lovely hug ...

a warm snuggly, merino cosy, beautifully made, with love, care and thought ... how nice is that!

Meanwhile, my first ever spinning to knitting project was a success ... ok only rabbit size ... but the sweater looks good. Next time I may try for something larger than hand sized!

And here is chocolate bunny wearing the sweater ... it's not the best photo ever, but sadly I didn't check before BatBunny went to live with DD ...

Finally it's only 3 days until I fly out to Oz ... I haven't packed, or made a list. I haven't decided what I'll wear ... but I did finish my knitting!!

Keep safe

And top of the evening to you ...

2009-03-17T14:38:00.000-07:00

So here I am with my camera, trying to get hat and head in focus. However, I'm really no good at it so you will have to make do with hat and eyes.

I should be off sewing up groom, but am still in a quandary about bride. Bride is knitted with body and arms incorporating the colour for the dress, so I couldn't just knit a new dress to match the colour of my dear sister's dress ... I would have to knit a whole new bride and arms and legs ... I think tomorrow I may search for some burgundy silk ... and sew a weeny overdress and corset .. so she can be a mix and match bride - traditional vs dreamy, floaty and midsummery in burgundy.

So, whilst in my quandary, I have taken heart; I have said naughty words to the sewing up and am sipping a wee glass of wine instead.

I like my hat ... but I'm not sure it's the right look for the wedding.

Happy St Patricks day ... sending hugs
xxx

Arggh ... now what do I do

2009-03-16T13:58:00.001-07:00

This is what my dear sister has decided to wear for her wedding - now there is no doubt that she will look lovely and it will suit her. There is absolutely no doubt that it is perfect for the "midsummer, dreamy, fantasy" type wedding theme she has as her goal.

Question is fans ... Do I remake bride's dress in burgundy????

Or, perhaps, I could just buy some burgundy satin and make an overdress ...

help!!!

Meanwhile, I now have to find something floaty and dreamy to wear to wedding. Actually make that floaty, dreamy and happy. Well, when texting her she said she was going with the dreamy fantasy idea and would be barefoot. When she wanted to know what I was wearing I replied "would find something from the closet that was dreamy and happy
to go barefoot." Texting being what it is ... she thought the outfit would be dreamy and happy, which it will of course!
Less than 15 days and counting ... and woo my birthday in 11 days and Suse's in less than 14!!! Actually is Sis's in 5 days on 21st ... so lovely trifecta!

Advice on bride outfit welcomed!!!!!
xxx

Not a bad weekend really

2009-03-15T15:29:00.000-07:00

Well, the title of my blog is clear ... not a huge sports fan then! However, the weekend has passed like an oval between the England front line ... pretty smoothly actually, despite the sport.

On Saturday the Pool made a challenge for the League title and rattled purple nose's cage. In case that sounds cryptic I'm quoting words from those in the know. Basically it means Liverpool stuffed Manchester United at home, in front of the home crowd, 1-4. Purple nose, rather aptly, is Ferguson's nickname. Made me smile.
Arsenal won and Chelsea won, so purple nose is apparently also turning into Captain Scarlet.

Meanwhile, DD took her lovely BF to Twickenham for his 25th birthday ... today. Wonderful England managed to etofe a lot of scores against France into 80 minutes, and gave the birthday boy a victory to watch.

The strange lump on my leg is down but not defeated by the ABs; it's now only 15 days before I fly to Oz; the bride is sewn the groom is not ... and we had slow roasted 5 spice chinese pork for dinner. The garden calls and I must sew more veg seeds before I fly. Meanwhile, a return trip to the GP is called for if my leg falls off or the ABs haven't cured the ickiness after 7 days (whichever comes first). Next weekend is Mother's day and the Friday after that is my birthday. Don't you love spring, everything happens at once.

Keep well and sending hugs
xxx

The groom is late ....

2009-03-12T12:48:00.000-07:00

Well, just in case you are the only people on the planet I have not yet told, my sister in Oz is getting married!!!!! And because Oz is sort of humid and warm and lovely and sunny but never cold, knitting my sister a bridal shawl or sweater would be very very silly.

So, I thought a little bride and groom doll. Jean Greenhowe, had a lovely (plainish) pattern, which I have adopted and tweaked.

Now the bride has a lacy dress and headdress, edged with blue sequins, a real (well almost) pearl necklace, a bouquet of pink roses ..

she has ribbons and bows, as a girl should have, a low top with some sexy edging to bring the grooms eyes to her (ok in this instance rather flat) cleavage .....

And she has white silky knit knickers, and a gorgeous garter, which matches the sequins on her dress!

I think she is a dish!

Meanwhile groom is beside himself (literally - he's in pieces!), like all nearly finished things (and don't you think that's such an apt description of a groom) he needs pulling together. Of course, being a man, he is looking forward to being stuffed :)

Bride has blond hair like my sister, and so the groom must have a salt and pepper beard like the groom ... I'm still working on that!

Meanwhile in a blog far far away ... well actually rather near ... I got tagged by Suse-the-slow-knitta

... like this ...

..It is, of course,the prestigious world renowned Honest Scrap award

The rules are :

1. Pick 7 or so blogs that make you happy

2. Let them know and post their names on your blog.

3. List at least 10 honest things about yourself.so here we aresome great blogs, which also win the Honest Scrap award!

1. Yarn Harlot - I'm not unique, nor especially gifted in recognising SPmP's ability to make blogging fun. I'm also honest enough to say that on the day's she doesn't blog, I read her Tweets over and over!

2. Suse, personna who nominated me for this award. Things I should have asked my Gran, makes me smile ...

3. Here I have to confess to being somewhat of a short lived blog tart. I dip in and out of blogs, I follow links from people I like to people they like ... I read a lot of interesting stuff and have a lot of fun. However, it makes me fall short on my list of subscriptions.

Well, that's 1 and 2 taken care of ... so for 3 ... here goes

10 true things:

1. I am so small you wouldn't believe it. My feet are just under 8 ins long, that's a size 32 continental shoe.

2. I own over 100 pairs of very expensive imported, mostly Italian shoes. I found a source for gorgeous feminine but teeny tiny shoes and have subscribed faithfully every season.

3. All my shoes are boxed, with photos on the front and stored in order in true OCD style in my cupboards.

4. 99% of the time I walk around bare foot!

5. I love making costumes for fancy dress. I have recently made cowboy\girl outfits for DD and partner, Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter, for DH and myself, and lastly dread Pirate outfits for nephew's 18th birthday party I have also been known to make a prom dress with just 2 days notice.

6. I adore cooking - absolutely love real fresh food, and am totally happy when cooking for visitors.

7. If I fall in love with a film I remember the words ... I become word perfect on second watch and can quote from my favorites ... not just Casablanca!!

8. I have parachuted, glided, been the first passenger in a newly qualified pilot's first flight, I have sailed in dinghies and vast ocean liners, I have been on trains and chunnels. I have never ridden on a tandem, skateboarded or skied.

9. I've been mistaken for someone I'm not and been treated as a vip!

10. I have steel blue eyes and long blond hair (the latter completely courtesy of my hairdresser Julie).

So now I am supposed to tag someone else .. but sadly, because of the licentiousness of my blog habits, I am tagless .....

Win some ...... winsome Oh well back to trawling other people's blogs!

Emerging from winter

2009-02-25T15:08:00.000-08:00

It's been a hard day and a long day. I've coped with fire and I've coped with rain ... whoops sorry that's some song from my childhood ... but still it's been a difficult day.

I don't want to have to tell my mother ever again that her last cat was put to sleep; I don't want to watch her grieve afresh again.

I don't want to stop her from buying a 5 lb (2.5kg) of minced beef again, because she bought it previously on Monday and the Saturday before that, and the Wednesday before that and the Wednesday before that.

I don't want to worry that she is going to be robbed, again, because she will insist on carrying large amounts of cash she forgets she has; and I don't want to contemplate sneaking it out of her bag and paying it back into her bank.

But hey, today I brought some seeds and some plants and here we are at the end of February and the vegetable growing season starts here.

I have my tickets to Oz, so I shall be counting down the days in Lent, I bought the tickets on Shrove Tuesday and will be there before my sister's wedding on Good Friday. Gave up the pancakes (no hardship don't have a sweet tooth).

And tomorrow someone comes to replace my windscreen for the second time - a crack appeared (sans chip - allegedly caused by cold weather) so it was replaced. The second I hit the windscreen wipers a noise louder than you can visualise( without being at a gig standing next to the largest speaker) punctured my ears and a large scratch gouged itself into the glass - apparently the windscreen has a blemish (don't we all) and the wipers are catching. So tomorrow, as I said, it gets replaced for the second time. So, whilst I am waiting in for the windscreen fixer I shall plant my onions (red, brown and white) and my garlic. I may plant into seed trays some herbs and lettuce; my potatoes are, as I type, chittering (isn't that a lovely word?). Spring is now declared officially on its way.

Whatever you are doing, and however you choose to do it, have a great day

xxx

Still falls the silence

2009-02-24T12:22:00.000-08:00

So, quiet as a snowfall, the house settles down. The raucus rumpus rumbustuousness of twins is now an echo between quiet walls, the maniacal madness of madcap kittens now just a ghost and life reverts to a spin cycle of washing and a turning-over tumble of housework and cooking.

I can have a glass of wine, without worrying I might sleep through a call in the night; I can knit with complete freedom from the fear that the kitties might drag my soft luxurious yarn around the kitchen like kill being dragged behind a chariot. Should be peaceful and tranquil, sadly it just seems lonely and boring.

Meanwhile on an up up and away note, I have booked myself flight tickets to go see my lovely sister get married in oz. She is now 55, never been married, and has no giver away to stand up for her ... my dear Dad long departed to visit other worlds, missed desperately since 1984. So, in one of those linking moments I depart to visit her on 1st April - DearDad's birthday. I'll fly and stand beside her, I'll knit her a keepsake or two and I'll be sending virtual postcards via the vibrant Aussie blue sky - however, I shall also take my camera and lap top, so I can sit in the long blue-green grass and send email postcards from the sedge. ( I liked that pun :0 )

Off to listen to haunting poignant music ... and I may just have that glass of wine. Keep well

xxx

Trouble comes in two by two

2009-02-22T12:15:00.000-08:00

So the snow stayed ... 15 days in all.

The twins

came and stayed and played, on the bridge,

in the veg garden, with tigger

in the woodland

and they had snowball fights and

they built a snowman (with tigger) ... then they went home ..........

Then the kitties came to stay

The kitties are lovely ... also twins ... also a handful. DDaughter and OH went to Oslo (more snow!)

And we kittie sat. But the kitties were bad little kitties and ran and jumped in my den

which used to look like this ... but they jumped on the shelf and sat on the books ... and the whole lot came tumbling down:- Kitties, books, miscellany, not only that, but my glass pen holder was shattered, and we were very lucky that kitties weren't hurt and no poo hit the fan or the floor.

So, once kitties went home, I swept and picked up, replastered the wall, oh yes!, then repainted (because plaster is pink and the walls were blue). Now that corner is all neat and efficient and looks like this. :-

So neat .. so tidy ... such a lot of knitting time spent organising!!!

Meanwhile (and this bit is a secret) my sister in Oz is getting married ...

YESSSSSSS!

I have been looking into flights, and I may just be in the land downunder in April, woohoo and no blooming snow!!

Enjoy the first inklings of spring sunshine!

Cables and florals

2009-02-08T14:30:00.000-08:00

The snow fell heavily for 5 days, this is rural England, not Canada, not Norway, not Finland, nor Russia. England does rain (often), from damp drizzle to lashing stinging wet stuff. It does winds, and mists, sunshine (very occasionally) and even sleet. We don't get persistant, long lasting, lingering white stuff! But we did ...

The wildlife could not understand what was going on, the pheasants came in greater numbers; at one time we had about 10 desperately scratching and calling to the birds on the bird table above "Hey buddy, throw us a crumb".

We had deer, timid and scared during the day ... but hey they ran around like it was a school play yard at night ...

Can you see the hoof prints ... that's the same snow today, 6 days. Is the Gulf stream still there just off our shores?

I have taken heaps of photos, cooked warming, comforting dishes and had the heating on during the day! I've stoked up a large log fire and it has all been rather lovely - unless of course I want to drive anywhere.

Still it's been great weather for sitting in and knitting. There is something almost zen like about knitting while white stuff swirls and billows around the windows. Very soothing. I shall worry about my waistline any second now!

Meanwhile, DD finally managed to get me a photo of the DB cable cap cardi (Alexa) I knitted for her in Stella. As you can see, she is freezing her bits off in a car park ... but she and it look lovely (IMHO)

She actually has her car keys in her hand, ready to spring into her car once the photo shoot was done!

When I've not been knitting I've been tweeting ... it's just a touch quicker than blogging, and the limited character spaces make the comments sharper and shorter!

Finally I am making two of these ... one with ladybug\ladybird buttons and one with bumble bee buttons. This one is just drying after a wash ... I will block it out when it is a bit dryer. It's a sirdar pattern and it's turned out quite well. I thought they would make lovely spring time gifts - I wasn't expecting an ice age!

Of course they are for the lovely E&B, who will be coming for a couple of days at the end of the week!

The good news is ... more snow is on its way!

Wherever you are and whatever your weather .. keep warm and happy

Hasta la tortilla baby

2009-01-30T14:28:00.000-08:00

So, Hubby's Dd and SO were due round tonight for food ... they've recently returned from a quick break to Spain and are settling back, somewhat uncomfortably, into cold, wet, windy and wintry UK weather, so to cheer them I decided on a Tapas type menu. It was rather fun actually, spending a couple of hours making :-

Albondingas (meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce)

Champinones al ajillo (mushrooms in a garlic and sherry juice)

Chorizo de horno (chorizo cooked in oven in garlicy oil)

Ensalad de tomate (tomato salad)

Lentejas con chorizo (lentils stewed with spicy sausage, red wine, onion and herbs)

Pan de horno (hot fresh bread)

Patatas bravas (hot crunchy potatoes in a very oomfy chili tomato sauce)

Pimientos morrones con queso (baby peppers stuffed with cheese)

Queso - Manchego \ Mebrillo (cheese and a quince "chutney")

Tortilla espanola (spanish omelette)

Then, just because a few calories had been left laying around on the work surface and I figured people may still be able to poke a few inside, I created a raspberry vodka, raspberry and hobnob cheesecake. Now hobnobs are oaty biscuits, like digestives only nicer - they made the base (mixed with some melted butter); the cheesecake was marscapone, whipping cream, egg white, raspberry vodka, gelatine and a little unrefined icing sugar, with the odd chopped raspberry thrown into the mix; the top was raspberries steeped in raspberry vodka - it worked really well!!

The wine was from northern spain - up near Barcelona in Catalunya ...

Good it was ... stuffed I am (Yoda has returned!!)

Have undone waist buttons so as not to explode whilst knitting!

New hearing aid

2009-01-27T12:37:00.001-08:00

So I took mad Mother to audiology clinic today; we went several weeks ago when they retested her hearing (no, it has not magically got better despite her belief that eye drops have cured her) and they fitted her for a new hearing aid. Her last one was big, cumbersome, that awful greige colour plastic and whistled whenever she passed by audio equipment.

After sitting, knitting, whilst waiting for a very long time ( buttercup cardigan in pale sunshine yellow, of which I have to knit two as they will be easter gifts for gorgeous girls) MM emerged. I was ready to fight at this point, as I thought she was without hearing aid; how extraordinary - she had been fitted with, and was wearing, a tiny discrete, fully working hearing aid. All the way home she was whispering (she could now hear herself) and moaned about the noise the indicators made.

Once home, she turned her TV on ... and nearly wet herself. The volume was set at 88, which she quickly lowered to 34, and was horrified at the thought of what her neighbours must have been enduring. I shall go to hell, without stopping and without passing go: I have told her she will save electricity if she has the volume down ... she is a "frugal" person. She may just wear this hearing aid!

Meanwhile it will be her 80th birthday in early May, and two of her daughters (me excluded) are "stepping up to the mark" and vying for the best "party" scenario. Me, I think we should ask her ... but hey I could be wrong, perhaps after all this time she may develop a liking for surprises!

Gung Hay Fat Choy and don't for get your red underwear, apparently it's lucky at the start of the new year - worked for me, MM now wearing hearing aid!!!

Happy Birthday for yesterday RB

2009-01-26T05:02:00.000-08:00

Before going to bed last night I twittered ....

"recovering from Burns supper - haggis, mashed neeps, tatties, whisky, crannachan, whksiy, pomes, hiskwe, snore"

This morning I woke to thick fog ... was it a hangover?? No, it was thick fog!

Wherever you are, if you joined in the 250th birthday celebrations for Rabbie, then sending a hug and a virtual asprin!

xxx

I see ... visitors from afar

2009-01-24T14:25:00.000-08:00

So, on days when the wind howls and the snow swirls, when winter clings and spring seems months away, so on those days you may perhaps empathise with my grumpyness (or should that be with an i ??), so, on those days you might understand why I would stand up and confess to being a Grump, a Grouch and a generally unhappy bunny. This may even be more clearly understood if you accept that my MM's cat was sent to the big mousehunting land in the sky and I have had to support my MM for at least 10 days ... which is 9.5 days beyond normal endurance levels. So, in a general apology for my lack of bounciness, I posted a note on my friendly forum on Friday that I had been stressed and was somewhat of a moody person.
Today, Saturday, just around lunch time, I got a phone call from a friend who lives over 165 miles away, asking how I was and what I was doing. When I replied I was doing nothing she told me she had driven all the way down and was at a local coffee shop, just waiting to buy me a cake and a cup of coffee. At that point I knew how lucky I was .. this is a lovely friend met originally through knitting and the internet. She had bothered to down needles and put foot to pedal to visit ...

So we had our coffee and tonight she came over for dinner ... she knew I was shattered, so rather than impose she had booked into a local travel lodge and has now gone there. I shall see her tomorrow but, in the words of Yoda (my mentor from Star Wars) "Lucky, I am"

Happy, I am, so bed I shall go

xxx

So ... nothing for ages ...

2009-01-22T12:30:00.000-08:00

Then two come along at once!

Here is my newest friend, MA. I bought her from a couple of lovely ladies whose mother had owned this. They showed me photos of their mother, Mavis, using the wheel and chair at craft fairs .. she looked very happy. So, as it is an Ashford my lovely new friend is now named Mavis Ashford, or Ma. She and I are still becoming acquainted, but she is more forgiving that I of my fingers and thumbs. My spinning thus far would have to be classed as less than rustic!

Meanwhile ... back to the pirate costumes, they were for my nephew's 18th birthday party ... and here is the dread pirate CookknitWine with sabre at action stations. Possibly just a touch heavier on the old eye make up than usual but fortunately the image is too small to see the full extent of my excesses.

I'm not sure where I thought my life would lead ... but I don't recall imagining spinning wheels and piracy!

xxx

Where did I put ....

2009-01-22T11:06:00.000-08:00

Where, oh where, did I put November and December and, come to that, 75% of January?

Well, I did put a lot of it into knitting a veritable multitude of Christmas presents ... there were:

9 scarves (DD, SDD, DDIL, DGD1, DGD2, Friend Treez, Friend Hils, MM and one sis)

3 pairs of socks (DD x 2 and DH)

2 jumpers both for DD - one completely of my own design and one from DB Stella

1 jumper (in 4 ply might I add) for DH - why I would knit in cashmere 4 ply for a 42 inch chest is beyond comprehension.

14 egg cosies - 9 from Debbie Bliss magazine and then one chicken, one teddy, one rabbit, a cup cake and a marmalade cat

One bag with goth skull and cross bones one side and a pretty cat among the flowers on the other (I called it the mood bag ... the dear friend it was for could display a side appropriate to her mood and her DH would then know whether he was safe or he should adios himself!)

After Christmas I started on an alpaca cardigan for me (Honey from Nectar), a fluffy mohair mix cardigan for MM, another egg cosy as part of a birthday present for sister and then, in between, made a couple of pirate costumes, and nurtured my MM after her cat had to go to upstairs to meet ceiling cat.

Meanwhile, as a present to myself, I took up a subscription for some Sundara yarns ... the debit has been going out a while now and today, YES!! the most gorgeous Aran Silky Merino in Black over Violet arrived courtesy of a USPS box, which I ripped open with indecent haste and then spent the next hour just touching, swooning, stroking, photographing and trying not to droole over the four precious skeins. mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Off now to research how best to put this itty bitty piece of heaven to best use, although I fear I may well keep it for a while as a stash slave!

PS Pirate dude with drink about is Shiver me timbers Yo Ho Ho pirate DH!

Missed you ... sending hugs

xxx

1960s Aldermaston, 1970s Vietnam ...

2008-11-09T11:58:00.000-08:00

....1980s Greenham Common, 1990s Poll Tax demos, 2002 UK anti war protest ...

What links these ... well the demograph of a group of knitters on a teeny tiny site (sorry Let's Knit but you are not big in internet terms) who are supporting the publication of knitting patterns. Yes ... knitting patterns.

Long story - short; a designer creates some knitting patterns based on a book (Beatrix Potter ... is this out of copyright - I don't know), he then sells these patterns to a magazine which subsequently closes. Desperate knitters pay silly amounts for copies on EBay. OK we are still in the world of knitting, despite how this sounds. A knitter, promoting "family values" and "traditional childhood" uploads the patterns on to a website. Next thing the designer is threatening legal action. Morever he goads his groupies with the following speech

“I would like to thank all of you who wrote to complain to Margaret Allcock of cabbagepatchtreasures, who was illegally offering free downloads of my copyrighted patterns. It must have done the trick because her website has been revamped today and my patterns have been removed. Yesterday Mrs Allcock wrote to one of my ‘undercover agents’ to say that over 70 members of Ravelry had downloaded the patterns, but I really hope this isn’t true and that she was simply making mischief because, in a world full of people ripping off and profiting from my work, it’s good for me to know that I can rely on my Ravelryettes to protect my rights and act ethically ….. as you have always done. I’m as frustrated as you are that many of my licensed character patterns are no longer available, but there are plans afoot to see if some can be reissued next year and I will post any news of this on my website. Again, I send my heartfelt thanks to all my loyal Raveryettes. More power to the ‘Ettes!”

I'm sorry ... did he really call his groupies Raveryettes/Ravelryettes? Do these women not mind being an ette????

Back to my opener ... the knitters supporting Margaret Allcock are from the generations who stood up and were counted when things mattered ... they are vociferous in their support of a person who felt she was merely making "family friendly" patterns, out of print and out of date, available to those not able or willing to pay eBay prices. None of them would ever have tolerated being an "Ette".

Sending hugs and love

xxx xxx

Knit, knit, forget the stress

2008-11-05T13:41:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I took the day off - didn't knit, not one stitch.

I did play with my yarn, play with my patterns, print out new patterns and buy more yarn on ebay (honestly if I could source illegal drugs on there instead of yarn I'd probably spend less - well way less actually as I'm quite happy with the legal drug that is alcohol, but what I mean is I think yarn buying is way way way more addictive!!) but I didn't knit.

Today I had a whole day with MadMother, so tonight the knitting demon is back ... it whispers in my ear " knit, knit, forget the stress ... faster, faster, forget the stress .... more, more ..." well, you get the picture.

She had fallen over again, so today she turned up with a black eye (not that is necessarily a sign of madness, more of which in a moment) a badly cut forehead and bruising to her cheek. Honestly people have come out of boxing with Mohammed Ali or Smoking Joe and looked better. I worry, but as yet she wont have help, won't move closer and is stubborn as hell. "Knit knit ...."

As for the black eye comment, I forgot to say that last week, during the need to push the knitting beyond human endurance, I felt the need to pay lip service to the housework. So, vacuum cleaner in one hand, damp kitchen towel in another, and knitting sitting in the chair calling out to me like a sad baby ..." mommy come back" I was supercharged with the cleaner, then using my foot to press the button to rewind the power cable into the cleaner, whilst at the same time just mopping up a blob on the floor (probably coffee) the plug maliciously thwacked me - extremely hard - on the eye socket. One of the prongs cut the corner of the eye, whilst the rest of the plug gave me a lump and a technicolour bruise that would out do those adorning hardened scrappers! As you do, I kicked the cleaner ... didn't help much!

Back to MM, she was ok today, except for the fact that she couldn't find anything she wanted to buy while we were at the shops. So, the conversation went something along the lines of:

"Bread" "Got it", "Vegetables" "Got plenty", "Cat food" "plenty", "Cleaning materials" "plenty" ... and so on.

However, the minute I got her home she was desperate for a new loo brush (True I didn't mention that one), a long life light bulb (ditto) and a fuse for a plug .... Oh for goodness sake, just shoot me.

Actually, today was really a good day, and she wasn't too repetitive ... so the stress could be worse. However, having said that, the sock I am knitting tonight is sitting on the sofa behind me calling me .... "Come back, we can work together on your stress, pick me up, knit me ... feel the softness of the yarn" So, much as I love you all ... I'm off to sit with my knitting - we need each other!

Wild eyed maniac with twitching fingers .....

2008-11-03T13:25:00.000-08:00

... seeks kind and loving nest, built out of alpaca, cashmere, silk and qiviut with wine fridge in corner. Well, that shows what a high maintenance dreamer I am!!

On the left is a slightly aging, much beloved sweater, belonging to DD. She has worn it almost to death and, as it was a shop purchased item from several years ago, there is no chance of buying a replacement. So ... under the guise of bringing it home with me for some TLC (sewing in fraying edges, shaving off lovely acrylic pilling) I decided to use the pattern and create a replica ... albeit not in lovely crispy acrylic, but in soft dreamy DB alpaca and silk DK, sadly long discontinued. Greater love has no mother than to give up some of her most beloved stash ... but, selflessly I used the raspberry, worked a whole lot of maths and ... voila ...

We have a copy. Now this is about to be blocked, so it's not quite perfect, but honestly I'm so proud of myself I'd wet my pants if I didn't show you all.

What do you think? I'm thrilled!

So that is part of her Christmas presents sorted.

On to the other gift knitting ... in this past week I have (as well as above labour of love) knitted four adult scarves (three of which are fully completed, with fringes and weaving in of ends; one still requires fringing ....

Two in pink purple Mille Colori and two in multi Mille Colori ....

I have enough yarn for four more ... I think however my brain has decided that's enough for a few days ... moving on ....

I then knitted two soft, funky, fluffy (ok they are acrylic) scarves for the maniac twins, and am contemplating some kind of matching hat thing ....

I am so proud of the twins ... they have just had a week's holiday and insisted on wearing the jackets I knitted them for their birthday all five days ... so my last photos will be them in their jackets and perhaps a spooky one or two if I can squeeze them on.

Meanwhile, I also finished a pair of socks, then started on another; this time I am using Dream In Colour Smooshy and again I think I could easily share a bed with this yarn .... it is gorgeous.

So if you have noticed a wee gap in my blogging ... forgive me, my fingers have been flying, and my needles sparking ... the keyboard was having a well deserved rest!

ps ... the dream sounds good though!

Love hugs and may your needles glide through your projects.
xx

Gardens, twins and sunshine

2008-10-25T14:53:00.000-07:00

Well, this is the back of the house, newly painted by ourselves, taken by photographer extraordinaire (that's me, OK) in the sunshine this afternoon. I'm standing on the far side of the little low wall between the tamed garden and the field ... in olden days that little low wall was called a haha - in olden days that little low wall wasn't built, we built it not so many years ago, but hey ... ha ha it's a wall! I was gardening all day, but needed a break from tugging up nettles and brambles ... so out came the camera!

And here is DH, strimming the ditch, so that the bloody weeds won't keep blowing into the garden ... Give a man a machine that goes broom broom, operates on petrol and oil and he will be happy and content for hours!!! I can;t work out why they call an oil and petrol mix 2 stroke, but I'm sure there is a bloke joke in there somewhere.

I'm sure he thinks he is clearing brush in some jungle some place exotic ... meanwhile ....

This is the view of hubby, happily wielding the strimmer ... it's man and machine against nature ... although it's not really too much like jungle out there!!! No tigers, no lions, no alligators or crocs, no monkeys, parakeets ... well you get the picture - just a man, a strimmer, weeds and some sugar beet as backdrop.

Meanwhile I'm up to scarf no 4; 3 are competely knitted with ends sewn in - I just have to fringe, whilst the 4th is still in production. I definitely have 7 scarves on my list for Christmas mini gifts, although there will definitely be a couple of smaller ones for the twins at the end.

And here are the twins, rabbit and tiger, smiling for the camera ...

When this was taken they didn't need scarves .. but give it a month or two!!!

So, here I am with hands bloodied and blistered from gardening, arms aching and fingers numb from knitting, and heart full and happy from a couple of good days.

Cooking has been fun too ... dinner tonight was lamb steaks with portobellini mushrooms with a mushroom/cream cheese stuffing and a madeira sauce, with roasted italian vegetables and baked sweet potato; whilst the naughty sweet stuff was almond and sun dried cherry flapjacks. I really need to garden more ...!!!

I think tomorrow I must get up early and run for at least 12 hours!

Love and hugs
xxx

A cold, yoyo yarn, yoyo the cat and hoops!

2008-10-21T12:14:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you a wee sad story; this time last year my daughter's beautiful cat, Truffle, died. He (and she) fought a long brave battle with his kidney failure, but in the end we had to kiss him goodbye.

I cannot tell you how we have grieved and mourned, but on Sunday these two tiny kittens (the picture makes them look much bigger than they are) became adopted by my DD. They had been found, worm infested and flea ridden with two other cats, one of which was dead. A kind soul associated with an animal charity took them in, and made them better. Now they are about 10 weeks old and gorgeous. They are a colour that is somewhere between faded apricot/rose and ivory.

The one looking at the camera (YoYo) is a gorgeous shy girl, while her brother is a bounding ball of excitement (and called Hoops). So, as DD was at work on Monday, I had to drive for an hour (and a bit) to her house, to kitten sit! Boy do these little monkeys like knitting. They love the needles, they love my arms moving, they love the yarn, and they love the ball band. I laughed more than I have done for ages - I very nearly stole them! Watch out, I may yet.

Anyway, back to my knitting of the past few days ... I have had a cold (only a girl cold, but still rubbish). So I knitted and knitted. I have finished my recycle jumper, but couldn't sew it up (my eyes have been streaming) and my icecream sweater is gorgeous, but I needed something to take my mind off the continual sneezing and eye watering.

So, for my second ever pair of socks, I fall in love with the Slip Stitch Delight pattern, (Thanks Terry L Ross) and decide I will knit them for my DD as a wee gift at Christmas. I decided I was knitting this with classic rib top (cuff) and not with fancy X top; I adore the mock tweed rib, which is gorgeous. However I was more than a bit dismayed at the poor quality of the Noro K sock yarn, which is a bit like a yo-yo dieter -veering alarmingly from way too thin, then ok, then way too chunky, back to way too thin, etc, etc. The colour is gorgeous … but don’t know whether this is just a duff skein or whether this is typical of the sock weight yarn (although I have shared these feelings with another user who is suffering the same weight issues!).

Once they were finished I took a snap and decided I am a better knitter than photographer … the socks look weird in photo and ok in reality .. perhaps it is being short … I can't get the perspective right.

Then I actually decided to reinforce one part of first sock with duplicate stitch, as yarn went almost invisibly thin on one part of sole and I know it would wear out in a heart beat. :( I cannot believe I am now pre-darning socks.

As a quick win I moved on to the Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf by Karen Baumer, which I am knitting in Lang's Mille Colori. I have to say this yarn is gorgeous … having just finished the socks in Noro K sock yarn where, quite frankly, the yarn was all over the place in thickness, this yarn is beautiful and, consequently, the scarf is going to be beautiful. Despite being all knit stich (and I DO get bored VERY EASILY) I have mentally ordered several more scarves from myself as Christmas gifts … well, perhaps the diagonal knitting will stop me from hanging myself with 50% wool/50% acrylic.

I did see something similar in the Per Una range in Marks and Spencers at £25 … YES that’s £25!!! and that was 100% acrylic or poly. This will take 2 skeins and work out at £6 ish. (shop around and if you can't find it for that price email me and I will give you the name of my source.

Wherever you are and whatever you are knitting, I hope a laugh or two bounds into your life to make you smile.

Sending hugs
x

A sugar rush

2008-10-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

I recognise the signs when I am stressed; I want to cook or knit or drink wine, or do all three (which in the past has led to some pretty inventive cooking - like the raglan spaghetti sweater in red wine*!)

Today we did gardening and gardening and gardening, when suddenly I got the urge to dash inside and cook brownies and teacake. Now I only do cake/dessert cooking once every decade or so, usually when I find out I am pregnant or redundant or about to remarry. None of those apply (fingers crossed), but still the urge for bakery was fierce.

The brownies are deep, dark and decadant; seriously heavy cocoa content, really soft, chewy, thick and deep deep chocolate, with chocolate chunks and dashed with chopped pecans, almonds and brazils. The teacake has sultanas, raisins, prunes, apricots and pecan. I now have a sweetly swollen tummy curve from the trialing, tasting and testing. If I am not to swell up like a balloon I need to find something hugely complex to knit. The wine was Blossom Hill, a californian soft red and dinner was slow braised lamb, with flageolet beans and small cherry tomatoes.

Tomorrow I know that, as all tomorrows shall be, I shall be good and eat nothing but salad, run miles, exercise hard and only drink water! Except that tomorrow is Wednesday, which is mad mother day, so perhaps tomorrow will start on Thursday!

Is the love I gave in the past
Gonna be enough to last
If tomorrow never comes

So tell that someone that you love
Just what you're thinking of
If tomorrow never comes

Possibly

2008-10-13T14:20:00.000-07:00

And so, after a great couple of days away, it is back to the grind of trying to catch up with everything. We finally finished painting the outside of the house last week ... and it was a lot of house.

However, we are late with everything this year: when hubby put his back out for 4 weeks it put everything on hold. So it is now time to return to trimming the laurel hedge, and there are miles of it... and the garden is in serious need of some TLC as the weeds are the bully in the playground and threatening the gentle pretty plants. So I am about to wage war on bindweed and nettles, thistles and dandelions, as well as speedwell, daisies, rose bay willow herb and buttercup. "Wild flowers" sound far more attractive when they are in a wild place ... in my garden they are just a huge nuisance!

I won't however do weedkiller ... so I am forever disturbing a surprised frog or toad as I scoop up leaves and pull up weeds. Occasionally a newt will peer at me, I am sure it will be praying I am not a predator (I'm not!) before I pick it up and move it closer to the pond.

I finished knitting the recycled sweater tonight ... tomorrow may be a "finish off" day ... or it may well be a "cast on and hang the sewing" day. I have to start planning what I should be doing, rather than letting my excitement persuade me into knitting something that may not help the Christmas gift situation.

Here I want to say that despite the fear that hubby's pension pot may have dissolved into a puddle of mud; despite the fact I am 200+ miles away from my twins, son and Dil; despite the fact that mad mother is not going to get better, and despite the fact that I miss my daughter immensely and fear she is working too hard; despite all those things I feel happier tonight.

I think it is the belief in possibilities. There is a possibility I will meet up with DD for a girly morning on Sunday; there is a possibility I may see the twins at the end of the month, sometime over half term; there is the possibility that the worst of the dreadful stockmarket may have happened and this could at least level out; and finally, even though mad mother is not going to get better, she was happy on the phone tonight and possibly she will be happy tomorrow.

Meanwhile, decision made, I think tomorrow WILL be a cast on day!

When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we see
No I won't be afraid
No I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand, stand by me

And darling, darling stand by me
Oh, now, now, stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me

If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
And the mountain should crumble to the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry
No I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me

How much do I love them? Let me count the ways

2008-10-12T15:42:00.000-07:00

Well, how lovely, the jackets were a success. They put them on as soon as they unwrapped them and they wore them all evening. Then, in the morning, they pulled them on over their PJs and wore them all morning.

I knitted the size 7/8 for their 6th birthday so I thought they would be over big ... but no, they can grow some and they will still fit, but they look lovely now.

Modelling the version in Sea spray is Beth and her puppy Lucky. She also smiled despite being a little concerned that she is waiting for her front teeth to grow back.

She would like a real dog, but for now she has to make do with Lucky!

Modelling Purr is Ellie, who is kitten like and curled, smiling because she thinks I'm a little bit silly. It's a jacket, it's keeping her warm and I don't usually take photos of her clothes.

However, they were both completely impressed that the knitting I had been doing when I last visited had metamorphed into jackets. They have taken up their needles and rather tangled bits of yarn with renewed vigour, knitting and dropping stitches with great enthusiasm.
Meanwhile I had a hoot after they had gone to bed last night, watching Mamma Mia (truly cheesy and wonderful) and drinking just a little more wine than I should! Actually, I was impressed with my knitting today ... no major bloopers! (so not too much excess wine!)

My second sock is progressing well and I am just decreasing for the instep ... on the home straight and I have enjoyed the socks ... guess I may just be tempted into doing some more ... this would be a good thing as I accidentally bought some noro sock yarn ... whoops!

As for my twins ... well they quite fancy hats and mummy is going to look around and see what she would like for them from the shop, take photos with her mobile and send them to me! I think that's success.

So night night all, have a great day tomorrow and may all your knittings be miracles!

xxx

PS a touch of poetry for the twins, a sprinkling of a little Coleridge, snippets from Frost at Midnight -

Dear Babes, that slept cradled by my side
whose gentle breaths heard in this deep calm ....

My babes so beautiful! it thrills my heart
with tender gladness, thus to look at thee ...

But thou, my babes shalt wander like a breeze
by lakes and sandy shore, beneath the crags
of ancient mountain and beneath the clouds ...

all seasons shall be sweet to thee
whether the summer clothe the general earth
with greenness, or the redbreast sit and sing
Betwixt the tufts of snow

Lady of Shallot, onions and leeks!

2008-10-10T14:23:00.000-07:00

So, in a far distant and somewhat dusty corner of the universe, someone posted a line or two of William Blake to describe their Roaring Tiger yarn. Gorgeous ... just gorgeous ... so I went to check out the yarn and in doing so I left the website and ventured google wise to find said yarn. In a poetic frame of mind I then thought:

She leaves the web, she leaves the loom,
She makes three paces through the room, she sees the waterlily bloom,
She sees his helmet and his plume (no sniggering here girls)
She looked down to Camelot

Out flew the WWWeb and floated wide
The mirror cracked from side to side
The curse has come upon me cried (again no sniggering here girls)
The lady of Shalott

(Alfred, Lord Tennyson)

And what the heck it is true (not the whole sailing on a barge like a dead thing issue), knitting is rather poetic. It needs to ring true, it needs to have balance and whilst people admire the
"off the wall, freeform" style, traditional metres, patterns and styles have a soothing and recognisable value.

And, if that all sounds too highbrow, then let me say

There was a fine lady who knit

She'd sit and she'd knit and she'd knit

She knew she should dust

and clean if she must

But still she would sit and she'd knit

Meanwhile the little garden bed on the RHS is now pretty, a little picture of lavender, climbing rose and edged with box. My nails now look like claws, my facial pores are filled with grit, despite several attempts to clean and exfoliate, but the garden looks good.

Tomorrow I'm off to deliver the little jackets to the ever growing maniac twins, how much do I love them - let me count the ways!

If I don't chat tomorrow have a fantastic weekend.

Meanwhile

Who is this and what is here?
And in the lighted palace near
Died the sound of royal cheer
And they crossed themsleves for fear
All the Knights at Camelot
But Lancelot mused a little space
He said "She has a lovely face
God in his mercy, lend her grace
The Lady of Shalott"

OO I do like that .... a lot!
xxx

The insanity of gardening

2008-10-09T14:17:00.000-07:00

Apart from knitting (and cooking and drinking wine, but bear with me here), apart from knitting - Gardening is one of my real pleasures. Don't get me wrong, I loathe weeds with a passion; hate the wrong kind of weather; detest slugs and snails; would totally eradicate bindweed/convulvulus from the global memory of the planet in a heartbeat; get annoyed that grass will grow strongly and unbeatably anywhere and everywhere - except on a lawn, but all that said, I enjoy gardening.
So, today, I was planting up a new bed. Last year, on the LHS of the drive, I planted up a lavender bed, edged with box. This year, throughout the year, it looked lovely. It is two tone (I like colour combining), in a soft pink and a warm purple. When the flowers were out, and the sun was shining, the scent was gorgeous; the bees droned, and honestly it was a lovely area where before grass had struggled to survive.
So this past week on the RHS I have dug up some dead (well they are now) and dying (well honestly they really were) shrubs, raked over the soil, and set about putting in a matching bed of lavender edged with box. Hubby went to golf today, which I thought was a GOOD thing. I do like a few hours just to pootle, poodle and do whatever.
However the "whatever" today involved a lot, yes A LOT, of swearing. The wind was blowing, and the weed suppressing membrane I was laying wasn't (laying); it was flapping and waving and moving and not staying still. The most stupid thing is that you lay the membrane, get it sorted into places (like lining up stitches, or decreases) then you hold it down and cut ruddy great holes in it. Then you do this whole "shy" thing whereby you fiddle around, under the membrane, digging holes in soil you cannot see, then plant lavender in holes you hope are large enough (you can't see), then try and bed them in with spare soil (which YOU STILL CANT SEE), whilst trying to hold the membrane down in a wind (which unsurprisingly you cant see), and you hope that the end result (which you very clearly can see) is perfect. Huh!! A lot of swearing. Then, just for fun, I throw on a couple of hundred spadesful of shingle ... and tonight I am only half way ... so I have just as much pleasure tomorrow to look forward to.
When I came in, to chill out and knit a few rows, I finished off a front .. just a few rows. So I moved on to the socks, when I hit the divide for heel, so migrated and I knit a few more rows of the surprise Christmas swap thing, before I needed to integrate a fairisle or is it fairaisle ... I don't know, well a dual colour pattern section, so I moved on to my 4th project ... and now I have hit the arm decrease area on the RHS front of that ... so I am about to find something mindless to cast on ... either that or I'll just go and read (with my unemployed fingers twitching) for 10 mins before bed.
Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, have a good day .... my aching legs and butt are off to bed ... and joy of joys, the weather looks good for tomorrow, so I guess I'll be outside again - whoopiedoodie!
XXX

What if the world goes bankrupt and other such questions?

2008-10-08T13:57:00.001-07:00

Wednesday is MM day (mad mother); every Wednesday she catches her local bus and I drive into the little local market town, where we meet. Wednesday is market day and in the little local market town there is one of the largest and most diverse markets in the UK. Every Wednesday we convene at a local cafe for tea (which is wrong - it should be a cafe for coffee and a cosy for tea!)

This Wednesday the global economy has dissolved into a puddle of mud. MM tells me that she was born on 5th May 1929 (which I know) and that was the day the great crash hit the US (which I need to check - she has a habit of mostly being wrong then, just to upset me, occasionally being right). Note to self - check details BEFORE blogging.

So, MM asks me what will happen if Iceland is bankrupt - not too much to affect you, I say, unless you are invested in whale blubber (Note to self - apart from banking - what are principal economies of Iceland?). What happens if world is bankrupt, asks MM. Well, I replied, I will dig up my lawn, plant vegetables and keep chickens. MM laughs, but honestly I have no idea, however the planting vegetables and keeping chickens may be a good start.

Meanwhile recyled cardigan proceeding well; socks have had a few more rows added .. nearly at heel on 2nd sock; accessories for christmas swap gift have arrived ... fabric and things, and we had salmon en croute for dinner.

I have promised MM that I will help her make sense of her banking - which is a good thing because it will save me sheepishly accompanying her to the bank every Wednesday to get confirmation of what I know and MM has forgotten :(

Meanwhile, what if the world does become bankrupt? .... well I have some very fine stash, some of which I am willing to barter for some vegetable seeds and some chickens.

Chat soon
xxx

Life, the universe, and thoughts on recyling

2008-10-07T16:03:00.000-07:00

On my 999th row of round (it's triangular to be exact) knitting on the sock project, I hit the meditation mode. The one where you forget to increase\decrease\change pattern whatever, but start thinking off at a tangent (that's probably how entrelac was thought up). Anyway (OMG only on third sentence and I have hit my anyway start) ... I got to wondering (after the 999 rows of knit only) why people disliked purl. I rather like it and not just because it makes a change from 999 rows of knitting. I like it because:-
It is done at the front! Yes, that's right, at the front where you can see it. No trusting that your needle has picked up all of the yarn and not split it, so that you end up with a quasi increase - a clearly visible entry, yarn around, and exit. ALL AT THE FRONT.
I love the way it makes a smiley face ... ok so this point is not as technical as the previous point, but honestly when you are knitting something tedious and you can see smiley faces as well as arrows, it is cute.
It makes moss (seed) stitch look like naughts and kisses (now if you are from the US this little pun won't mean much as you call naughts and crosses TicTacToe. Actually why? Naughts and crosses I understand cos you either put a 0 (ok in the US that's a zero, over here in antique land it's a naught) or a X (Kiss/Cross - hence the pun)).
Anyway, for a break from the unending 55mile an hour highway that round and round and round knitting can be, I decided to unravel a cardigan. I love the yarn, I really love the colour and texture, I even wore the damn cardigan a couple of times because I loved the feel of the yarn and its colours. But I hated what I had done to this gorgeous yarn ... it had turned out too baggy, too wide and too short ... almost like I had knitted it for someone much wider than me (ok possible) and way shorter (seriously not, at 4ft 10.5ins just really really not possible).
At this point I should confess to having a stash that outdoes my LYS ... I have more (bad) yarn and more (good) yarn and more (middling) yarn than most people within a few hundred miles. Dont want to get into a mine's bigger than yours situation, but we don't need loft insulation.
So why did I unravel and immediately recast on this wonderful yarn. Why didn't I just consign the garment to the sin bin (also known at the charity shop or thrift store)? Well, as I said I love the yarn. More than that though, I felt I had fallen short on this yarn's potential. The thing is, there is nothing else I can think of can be undone and redone but better. That's it. Knitting has the potential to take yarn and eradicate past mistakes;to rise above errors and to become something better.
Cooking - can't take apart the ingredients and reuse as if new, definitely not parenting, nor making curtains, or painting walls ... knitting has the ability to be deconstructed and reconstructed, like the bionic man of my childhood, so that it becomes better than it was. It's also so very "green", a recycling of prime components - all within my lap. Wow.
How cool if life were like knitting - still at least knitting is like knitting!
Sending hugs
xx

Strange days indeed

2008-10-05T14:07:00.000-07:00

So it was lashing it down this morning; I checked out of the upper windows several times but didn't see anyone building a large wooden boat with a whole load of animals in their garden, so I decided it was ok to drive to the shop for the paper.

Here, in the back of beyond's beyond, there's no such thing as paper delivery and the shop is a good threequarters of a mile away ... so a nice walk on a decent day, which today wasn't.

Into the car, down the road, pick up paper, drive back ... so far, so normal (well apart from puddles with ducks in). However, I opened my door to get out ... leaned over to passenger seat to pick up newspaper and handbag and a little dog jumped into the back seat behind me and sat there (smiling? it looked like it was smiling - do dogs smile?). It was tiny, wet and muddy but hugely friendly and wagged its little stump of a tail like crazy (crazy indeed!). So, I said hello (as you do) and leaned over to read his collar. He acted like a runaway criminal "oh trying to feel my collar" he thought, and jumped out still smiling and wagging. So, I followed him down the drive in the lashing rain, dialling on my mobile. A nice sounding woman answered; I told her I had a small dog with me .. she sounded bemused ... not her dog! I had transposed some of the numbers. Meanwhile dog now thinking it fun that I am chasing it, in the lashing rain, without an umbrella ... I'm disagreeing. So I thought I would leave little maniac to go pee on someone else shrubs and hope he makes it home safely.

Later (that same day as they say in the best novels) I had a phone call.

Now I grew up in London and then moved to Windsor - huge city, big town. This may have coloured my perception of the role of the police force.

On the 10th of September my mother had her purse stolen (largely invited by the fact that she never shuts her bag and insists on carrying worryingly large amounts of cash). Still, as thefts go it was subtle ... she never knew and wasn't hurt. It has however shaken her and her confidence - exacerbated by the fact that her memory is failing her and she can't remember all the details. So, back to the plot ... I had a phone call. It was the lovely community PC who had come to take the details from us on the 10th. He wanted to check that my mother was ok, he checked on a Sunday, with no hidden agenda, he was just asking how she was doing. I LOVE the countryside (despite the lack of paper delivery and puddles full of ducks).

On the knitting front I have knitted another third of a sock ... I'm not sure I comprehend SSS (Second Sock Syndrome) - surely it is better than second sleeve (you need two of those and you are still not finished), and definitely better than knitting two of everything for twins ... so I am happily plodding on with sock. It is, however, fine yarn on teeny DPNs, so in the evening when I am making attempts to be sociable (tonights film Run Fat Boy Run) I knit something which doesn't require good lighting and full concentration.

I have also been planning my Christmas swap gift ... have ordered some materials and am rather excited at my concept. How, though, do I share it? I may have to wait for 3 months to discuss .... I am not sure I can hold out that long!

Day 66 - pork loin marinated in orange zest/juice, ginger and orange liquer, then roasted with an orange and apricot sauce ... actually extremely jummy and low fat - bonus!

Meanwhile, eagerly anticipating deliver of latest YH book ... will try not to scoff it down in one sitting like a kid with a bag of sweeties.

xxx

Not going to get rich by knitting!

2008-10-04T15:19:00.000-07:00

So, despite not being "normal materials" for a baby jacket, I guess that means it wasn't white and it wasn't acrylic .. they awarded me a first - Woo Hoo. I won, now hold on to your seats here (and notice I've not issued my address in fear of muggings or beggins letters) the princely sum of 60p ... I guess that may be about $1 ... so I am not about to go buy the champagne just yet!

In the early summer I entered my Alan Dart, Tooth Trader fairy, who whilst lovely apparently was "too thin". Anorexia hits the knitted toy scene and is booted into the sin bin! She won second, so hurrah, the jacket "done good".

Meanwhile, back on the needles, one half of a skein of Colinette Jitterbug (lapis) has morphed into a sock. This was going to be a present for DH, but as it was the first foot wear, excluding baby booties, that I have ever attempted, I decided to make DH try on the first, before I went for the match.

Yey hey, success, he loves it, it fits, I'm happy!

Well ... and sad (as the surprise element is now ruined) as I now have to think up a further surprise Christmas knit for dearest beloved.

Meanwhile in the backwater, a Christmas draw has taken place and I, fortunately, have pulled someone whose tastes I know ... so have great ideas. She is a little bit goth/emo .. no matter her age ... so I am thinking a knitting bag with goth imagery and lining ... bear with me on this one and I shall consolidate my plans and let you know ... but you are SWORN to secrecy :-)

Meanwhile ... still planning on how to spend all my decadent winnings!!

Night night sleep tight and enjoy the rest of your weekend

xxx

PS Thursday, field mushrooms stuffed with welsh rarebit; Friday - slow braised lamb shanks with red wine and sun dried tomatoes; tonight Carbonnare de boeff (my spelling is really nowhere as good as the cooking!). 65 days and no repeats !!

Ripples in the backwater and Virgin sock knitter

2008-10-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I've just started my first pair of socks for this socky virgin. Not that socks scared me ... I just got put off by known obsolescence. (I have the first baby wrap I knitted; I have a sweater that morphed 3 incarnations - but never have I darned socks). The knitting is lovely, the yarn sublime - I just don't know how I will cope when the first hole appears - I may lose it entirely! However, DH has been remarkably likeable of late (not least because he has been working his conkers off [translation conkers = horsechestnuts = nuts] painting the house) and has been deserving of some knitting. He has ooed and ahhed at the Double Trouble jacket, and (honestly) made some insightful comments like "wow how did you get that cable to move from the middle to the outside?". Now, for me, that is almost a declaration of passion ... ok maybe travelling cables don't get you every time, nor me, but a non knitter chap noticing - well that's GOOD.
So back to the main theme ... I decided I would knit him a pair of socks - in the softest most tactile yarn I could discover, in the most vibrant of colours (hang in there if I had knitted them in black or navy they would get worn too often and worn out even quicker!). In the product placement world this is where I declare my eternal love for a brand and get squillions of skeins of yarn ... however in my world if you want to know the sock yarn I fell for go look at the project details on Ravelry.
As for the sock (well I am still on the first) so far so lovely.

Meanwhile I thought I would touch on ripples in the backwater and say that on another site ... in a galaxy far far away, there were downing of needles and abandoning of forums after one member was summarily banned for expressing displeasure that out of 11 issues of the magazine 17 patterns had required later correction. The banning was later lifted and attributed to "typing in capitals" as aggressive and intimidating behaviour. WELL HELL CALL ME A RIPPLE. I know that squillions of us quiet/loud, famous/infamous knitters would be casting aspersions on the checking department and perhaps even in CAPITALS. After a day of protests and virtual banner waving the capital typer became reinstated. Small beer in a day, but honestly freedom of speech says nothing about "well say what you want and I will defend your right to say it, unless of course you put it in capitals".

Back to the first part of my name .. .. I do like to cook - really, from scratch, without packets or tins, and sometimes without anything except a spoon, a knife and ingredients. When I was an ultra stretched banker I would come home feeling my life, whilst well paid(ish), sucked as I had contributed little to anything of meaning. So my creative outlet, between loading the washing machine/dishwasher, reading bedtime stories and going to sleep myself (sometimes I even made it to bed, ... so my creative outlet was cooking. The more stressed I was, the more I would chop, slice, stir, season, taste and arrange. Back to now and I still love to cook, but for enjoyment and the production of great food ... for creativity and stress reduction I now have the time to knit.

At the beginning of August I asked hubby if there was anything he fancied to eat as I was off to the shops. He replied that he should start a spreadsheet (ex accountant - gets his fix from Excel) then whenever I asked him that (as I do once or twice a year) he could suggest something we hadn't eaten for a while. So, I said, "ok, go create the spreadsheet".

So here I am, bragging/boasting/smiling, because in two full months, more than 63 evening meals, there have been no repeats! (There were three days, at the beginning of September when I went to stay with twins and look after them before school resumed, that he ate preprepared oven ready meals ... but even those meals have not been repeated).

So, feeling proud of the first and middle part of my name, I think I deserve the last syllable ... and I think tonight I'll drink red ... (but keep it well away from the socks!)

Sending hugs
xxx

ps These are the rabbit and tiger who are the "double trouble" duo .... cute aren't they?

Happy Birthday Beth and Ellie

2008-09-29T12:52:00.000-07:00

So, double trouble done ...I have to say after a somewhat difficult start I love these jackets.

I first started, on 2nd September, in Sirdar Denim Aran Sport … but, despite a great swatch, half way up the first back I discovered the yarn was too soft and pattern blurred and fuzzed ... all I could see was the changing colour of the mix. So, I restarted in Rowan All Seasons Cotton, which (foolishly) I didn't swatch and, half way up the back (for a second time) I discovered it had knitted up on the large side, so I had to change down a needle size and restart for the third time.

Then, as I am knitting for twins (fraternal not identical) I decided to knit 2 at once, one in soft lilac, one in sea spray green/turquoise. Twins’ birthday 30 sept - OMG!

I finished 1 back, and neared finish on second - I had decided to alternate jackets and (of course) colours. My fingers felt they were dropping off and arm ached from cabling and seed/moss stitch! I grew hard skin on my knitting finger ... however I began to really enjoy this (how bizarre). I found that alternating colours really was encouraging.

I started counting off the completed sections ... have now completed 2 backs, 4 sleeves, 4 pockets, 4 pocket flaps, two left fronts and half way up first right front... SO only 1.5(ish) right fronts to go, then 2 collars, hours of weaving in ends and sewing up! I felt on target definitely for 30th Sept! Woo.
So there I was on Saturday 27th with the main parts complete … hoping to sew/weave, then collar and button soon after!

If you have ever wondered what SSS was ... it is Second Sock Syndrome .. basically you get the first one done then wonder if you have the will to live, let alone start again at the beginning to knit a twin of the first. I now know that actually primary SSS is the second sweater syndrome and basically until you have had to knit two identical sweaters you have been living a sheltered half life. Second sweater out ranks second sock by a trillion to one.

Anyway, if you ever felt your wonderful handcrafted item had way too many ends to weave in then think of me and send me your hugs. I had double anything you have contemplated ... then 22 buttons to match up as well! And because I have a touch of OCD and the buttons have writing on them, I had to angle each and every button in the same direction, so that the writing on the buttons all aligned. Shoot me now.

However, Wow … I’m really pleased! I think they look super. I am allowed to say this because they are a gift and do you know, there is really very little I was unhappy with ... The pattern said pick up the collar with the right side facing, so I did on the first (which is extremely silly because then you see the picked up stitches) so on the second I picked up from the wrong side, which gives a very neat and invisible join.

Sadly, though, after all that, my visit to the North West has been postponed ... as they say "these things do 'appen". As I say "Bugger".

Happy birthday Ellie and Beth ... love you to bits!!!

So relaxed have melted over top of pants!

2008-09-25T15:13:00.000-07:00

So here I am now, all tidied up on the stash front ... have secreted new purchases ... swooned because stash total now exceeds 100 (and some of those are lumped together to make it look smaller). Here I am now .... with boobie mouse ... alive, well, and (honestly) with many less worries than for the past few weeks or morel

Here I am now ... amazed at the number of friends, many of whom I've never met, who have been supportive and loving.

Doesn't it just make you want to hug someone when you realise, despite all the doom and gloom on the front pages of the newspapers, that actually most people (especially knitters!) are kind, caring supportive and loving. Makes me want to hug someone or something! Or at least knit them all a scarf/ hat/ mittens/ gloves' or sweater!

Meanwhile ... I don't know how to get emotional virtually without overusing the !

So, I shall give in to my dark side and say a huge thank you to everyone who was so caring ... watch out here comes the lack of control .. .. ... Here I am now ....... THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! """""""""""""""""""""

Norah Gaughan Vol 1 (Berrocco) - Manon

2008-09-25T00:51:00.000-07:00

I had real trouble sourcing this pattern book in the UK, Berroco won't ship here, it wasn't listed on Amazon or the Book depository or ...

Rudely I wrote to NG herself, pleading for help and got a rapid response pointing me to a supplier here in the UK. How totally amazing! Thank you NG. Book ordered ... just going to harrass the post delivery person until he coughs it up!

It's Benign!!!

2008-09-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

Which is sort of opposite to the Frankenstein quote when his monster gets struck by lightning - "It's alive".

Well my little marble is a fibronoma. "Well hello and welcome to the mammogram little fibronoma, and tell us, where have you been hiding these past few years?" Apparently these things are sort of clumps of tissue that have bonded (similar to groups of knitters at an LYS or a knitter's internet group forum). They are not malign (ditto) and occasionally put on a little growth spurt like a non cancerous skin mole, often with age ... (Age??? are they saying I am getting old???)

So my little fibronoma and I are going to cohabit ... and just as I weigh and measure myself (when I want to be depressed or convince myself I should do something other than just knit, read, drink wine and cook) so my lovely little friend, nestling within my left boobie, will also be measured regularly.

Meanwhile, both hands to the needles ... I have nearly finished the twins' jackets ... am on the neck decreases of the second jacket. Will then just have sewing, blocking, ending and collars to do.

As I am an organised sort of person, last night I cast on in a lovely cashmere, merino, silk yarn, the Garndrops Eskimo jacket, figuring that all the stocking stitch on the back would be soothing and requiring minimal concentration whilst I waited for the surgeon to see me. Today, as a completely freaked out, oh my god I'm going to see a surgeon about this thing in my left boobie, sort of person I left my knitting behind. ARRRRRRRRRGH

I'll say that again ARRRRRRRRRGH - a 30 minute wait with nothing to do but trawl the decades old magazines (looking for knitting patterns - you can tell how old they were one of the patterns was for support hose - OK made that last bit up, a complete fib, sorry).

Still, I am here and happy and planning for an early night's sleep, as my sleep last night was minimal, whilst my nightmare dreaming was maximal! Still off to do at least one more row ....

Happy knitting
:)
x

Interesting times!

2008-09-18T07:15:00.000-07:00

The past four weeks have been somewhat difficult. Wednesdays are my "mad mother day" - ie I meet my more than forgetful, extremely eccentric mother.

The first Weds my mother came into town on the bus, wearing shoes that were too small and too tight; we almost had a fight because she wouldn’t pay for new shoes and finally bought some more second hand ones from the charity shop (which, surprise surprise, also didn't fit).

The second Weds she fell over and cut her eye and hand and bruised her hip, so there was then a first aid session in the car park.

Last Weds she had her purse stolen after I left her ... but she will insist on carrying large amounts of cash and then leaving her handbag unzipped. So I ended up driving back into town and sorting everything, a mere four hours of cancelling cards and chatting with the police, then driving her home (about a 1.5 hour round trip). Still she was ok, not harmed and very grateful.

This week, however, she insisted we check everything I did with her last week ... eg confirm in the bank that we’d cancelled the cards, ordered statements, etc. I am so embarrassed now at going in and out of the bank at least twice every weds! The staff know my name, and I'm not even their customer.

Meanwhile ... I had mammogram on 5th - don’t you just love having your gentle bits crushed.

Got called back for further investigation on Tuesday this week (16th) where I had 4 more x-rays, then ultra-sound, then some biopsies into the lump they found in my left boobie. A biopsy is similar to getting your ears pierced ... they shoot you with a gun, but keep the bit of flesh - yuch, AND you can watch it on the ultrasound screen, beats football! You do, however, have a local anasthetic, so it’s not painful until later, when you can take paracetamol (which I confess to having washed down with a glass of red wine!). This lump is about 0.8 cm (about 1/3 inch in old money) so bigger than a pea and smaller than a malteser.

I now have an appointment with the surgeon on Weds 24th. If it’s benign then the old surgeon will have a smile on his face and tell me they will just measure it at the next mammo; if it’s not then I guess I get told the options.

Meanwhile I actually feel ok ... bizarrely. I was more worried before the recall appointment, now I have seen what I am facing and, frankly, who is scared of a malteser! (Maltesers are yummy little chocolate round things, allegedly less fattening than denser chocolates and in size are a little larger than M&Ms) .

Which makes me think I now need chocolate and a glass of wine! However I restrict myself to both until the evening, unlike knitting, which I sneak in whenever I can.

Meanwhile, on the knitting front, I committed myself to knitting two jackets in size 7/8 yrs in the Debbie Bliss pattern Caitlin as birthday presents for the twins. Because I love my DIL, I wanted a yarn that was easy care, so I started in Sirdar Denim Aran Sport, which had perfect gauge … but half way up the back I realised the yarn was way too soft and the random colour was overwhelming the pattern, so the whole nubbly texture appeared lost.

So I restarted in Rowan All Seasons cotton, without a swatch (oops) which I realised (when I was 3/4 of the way up the first back, for a second time) knitted up far too large, so frogged again and changed down a needle size.

However, third time lucky and now am knitting 2 at once, one in soft lilac (Pur) one in sea spray (green/turquoise), Twins’ birthday 30 sept - OMG!

After finishing the second back I thought my fingers were dropping off and arms seriously ached from the cabling and seed/moss stitch!

However I am really enjoying this now (how bizarre). Alternating colours and jackets really is encouraging. I've now completed 2 backs, 4 sleeves, 4 pockets, 4 pocket flaps, two left fronts and half way up first right front. SO only 1.5(ish) right fronts to go, then 2 collars, hours of weaving in ends and sewing up! On target definitely for 30th Sept! Woo.

Chat later :)

Radical Rearrangements Part 2

2008-07-29T09:16:00.000-07:00

So .... <--- was the starting point and after all the wrapping and packing, sealing and sorting, arranging and labelling ... the end results ... tada ..... are:

sorry don't know how to add drum roll :)

cupboards all neatly labelled, not only are the yarns organised by weight and alphabetically sorted ... but each shelf labels the weight and the yarns stored there.

Finally .... all the odd balls I have for charity and toy knitting I have rolled and sorted into weight and I now have two bags full of yarn, one DK or fatter and one ingering/4ply or thinner.

From this

to that --->

Lastly, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, I have space for more stash!!! Woo hoo! Now off for well deserved glass of white!

Oooo job well done :)

Just a touch obsesssssssive

2008-07-29T08:43:00.000-07:00

Well, enough is enough, so I waited until hubby was out then I grabbed yarn from all the little secret places and decided to organise.

He's gone to golf, which takes at least 5 hours, including the quick beer at the end ..

I have been getting increasingly more panicky (being slightly of the OCD persuasion) that things were spiralling out of control ... so into a big heap it went. Then, with due credit given to ThatLoganGirl's most awesomely inspiring stash, I decided to sort ...

All yarns were firstly bagged and sealed, then it was sorted into "weight" piles - chunky, aran, dk etc. Missing photo's were taken for stash data on Ravely (and I confess to not unbagging them having just finished sealing them all! ). I made two separate bags for charity/toy knitting - one in DK and one in 3ply/fingering weights.

Finally each weight was given its own shelf or shelves and stacked .... are you ready for this ... alphabetically.

Here I wanted to show you photos of results ... but blog is hanging ... so will move on from here to second blog, which is better than throwing keyboard through screen!

Banished for being unsexy

2008-07-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

Oh dear

My darling Pearl, knitted mouse with demure but twinkling eyes and thunder thighs so appealling to those of a rodent persuasion (or indeed many human rats too) has been discarded.

She has elasticated panties, which do come off when the mood is sophisticated enough, a hoop to make men jump through and a je ne sais quoi bow on her slightly tilted, just so, come and get me head.

Today however I got this email -

Hi Chris-
I am writing you to let you know that we have removed two of your projects (Nit Wun, Ringmaster & Pearl) from the Sexy Knitter’s Club group page. We appreciate your enthusiasm in sharing your projects with the group however, we feel we need to be a little more discriminating regarding which projects appear on the group’s page. Our group page reflects what the SKC is about and is the face we present to Ravelry so it needs to represent sexy knitting as accurately as possible. Please help us with our goal by considering this when adding future projects. If you have any questions you can read more about this on the group page (thread titled Announcement - Group Project Page) or you may contact either me or our other mod rchrispy. Thank you!
Happy knitting, Maryanne

I guess Maryanne doesn't have a thing for rodents - me I kind of love the old roue rat thing. Even Nit Wun was given a genuine, old style baddy type twirly moustache. Had I known that things were not spicy enough I could have tied dear Pearl to a railway line and had Nit Wun pose with a "give me your virginity or die" caption coming out of his mouth!

Sad isn't it when sexyness comes policed as hotly as old Mary Whitehouse used to ... just slightly from the other side!

PS if you want to see the offending, and obviously unsexy, Pearl link is here:-

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/cookknitwine/mouse

PPS - Bet she never checked down Nit Wuns trousers either!!

slow spiral into insanity

2008-06-13T14:13:00.000-07:00

Today I have been poking and soaking. It's a long story, but it started when we noticed mushrooms growing on the lawn ... in a circle ... and the lawn was not growing where the mushrooms were. We have a fairy ring!
So, off to the supercomputer ... guess what ... bloomin difficult to cure. Apparently, or is it allegedly, there is one at Stonehenge that is squillions (well hundreds anyway) of years old. (And I thought it was druids and hippies that danced in a ring at Stonehenge ... not fairies, oh well).
So, it seems that there are no weedkillers that joe public can buy that will kill the blighters off ... not that I could really use them anyway, being a bit organic. So eventually I found a site in California, where apparently fairy rings are a big problem, and they said that fairy rings are a growing problem (hahahaha) on the increase indeed. Not a lot can cure it ... the fungus (something sounding like mycell*** - can't remember the exact details!) only dies when its source of food is depeleted. And it loves thatch ... the build up that grass makes. Woop.
However, it did have a cosmetic cure. Now the thing is this fungus when it grows is a clever little thing ... I'm sure there must be huge potential for what it does ... it makes the ground around it waterproof! So the grass roots can't get water and the grass around it dies ... leaving the mushrooms to munch on all the local organic delicacies.
So, to make the lawn look better (can't actually make the mushrooms bu**er off) you have to

1. Pick mushrooms (apparently delicious and non toxic - but hubby wouldn't try them, spoilsport!) So, in my case, then bin them.
2. Find a kebab stick or a skewer ... I jest not. Stab the ground repeatedly, to a depth of 2 ins or more, all round the bloody ring.
3. Pour slightly soapy water on the ring and hopefully into the holes. Now the site recommended washing up water ... apparently the soap makes the water wetter??

Repeat 3 steps EVERY day for 4-6 WEEKS.

So I have been doing this for four days and already my right arm stabbing muscle is a bicep beyond compare! I must try stabbing with left arm too. Also neighbours stare at me ... I can tell they are whispering to each other about my stabbing of the lawn then leaving little piles of fairy bubbles (lol ... in the UK fairy is washing up liquid) artfully arranged on the lawn.

I am worried they will completely freak out when they find out tomorrow I am going to sit in a park, in public, on my own with a picnic and knit - in the rain!
Well that started cos tomorrow is WWKIP day (knit in public day) ... and no-one from Bury seems to want to participate - except me ...

So if I never appear to blog again, forgive me, I will be in a nice place, with nice carers, and hopefully they will allow me my knitting needles.

Have a great day tomorrow!
xx

Why do I love yarn ... let me count the ways

2008-06-04T07:08:00.000-07:00

Yarn loves you to cuddle it, but doesn’t want you to make it tea or beer.
Yarn loves you to wind it around your little fingers.
Yarn is happy if you don’t talk to it.
Yarn is happy if you do talk to it.
Yarn doesn’t create piles of washing.
Yarn doesn’t need feeding.
Yarn likes it if you suddenly pick it up and cuddle it even if it was asleep.
I love yarn.

Yarn is my secret lover and I sneak it into the house when hubby is not watching.
I hide yarn in cupboards all over the house and often go for a secret stroke.
When hubby is out I go and have loving sessions with my yarn.
I love yarn.

I can choose a yarn to match my mood :
- soft silky sensuous
- strong butch and robust
- fine ethereal and elegant
- multicoloured
- deep hued
- pastel
I love yarn.

Yarn never moans when I put it to one side for another.
Yarn always makes me feel welcome when I pick it back up.
Yarn never looks at another Knitter and thinks they could be happier with them
Yarn will wait forever for me.
I love yarn

It's tag .... ooo

2008-05-26T03:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I was trawling other people's blogs and found Quelle Erqsome (droll). She was talking about a litterary tag game
" ...... and today I found myself engaged in something that seemed worthy.
The rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book ( of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people & post a comment here once you post it to your blog, so I can come see."

So, never having grown out of being the kid in the playground who never gets picked to play, I shouted "pick me pick me" (well, in an email kind of way). So thank you she did .....

Book - the Gathering (Anne Enright)

"So it was an air hostess's suitcase I carried down the stairs filled, just like an air hostess's, with dirty clothes and squeezed-out tubes of spermicidal jelly; in the middle of it all, the tiny, smothered sloshing of a mostly empty bottle of gin.
Bump bump bumpetty bump.
Liam was in some other house, like this one or worse, and he wasn't having a lot of sex, or drugs, or deep and spacey conversations. "

Fun, sad and odd book (won the Man Booker prize 2007 - I know that because there is a label that says so on the front - why is it the Man Booker prize was won by a woman?)

Now I should be tagging 5, but (still like the sad girl from the playground) I'm scared to ask people to play, because I know they will say no :(

So I'll just link this to Erqsome's blog and hide behind the bigger girls.

Star Signs, knitting styles and random nonsense

2008-05-21T13:54:00.000-07:00

So, in passing within another comment, my mind wandered to astrological styles ... I'm Aries and a fire sign, full of energy at the start, impatient, energetic, vibrant, but hate the long slow finish ... which pretty much describes my passion for the start, and away gallop of a new project - I have a love of the innovative and exciting yarns. I guess perhaps earth signs (Taurus, etc) take things more steadily but have a love of the luxury yarns, but will ensure that if they buy them then they use them.

The air signs (gemini, etc) are perfect sock folk, love the sociability of knitting and a love of smaller, transient, beautiful, but perhaps less enduring projects, and have an affinity for the light fluffy mohair yarns. Meanwhile the water signs are more varied, from Cancerians who love their homes and families, so are the perfect knitters and will knit to prove their love for home and family, to Aquarians, who are creative, but don't necessarily need to finish something - the attraction is in the creativity. They have a raport with aran, the original fishermans wool, and anything with a soft silky fluid feel - I'm sure bamboo and silk will respond to their soft harmonious flow.

Fire signs should use the primary and cardinal colours - red is so good for them. The earth signs will have a raport with natural earthy colours, greens, browns, and wheat. Air can cope with the colour of clouds, whites, greys, and sunrise golds; whilst Aquarians love water linked colours - blues, turquoise, and aqua (of course!!)

Tell me who you are, what your star sign is, and what you love to knit or knit with ... we'll see if all this adds up!

Happy knitting

Favourite swearword now worn out ...

2008-05-15T14:05:00.000-07:00

It was all downhill, I had finished the RHfront, LHfront, back, sleeves, knitted up the button bands .... next step the 3 needle bind off. Now if you're from the UK there are some new terms to learn when you knit a US pattern.

1. Bind off = Cast off (not so difficult). The 3 needle version does a lovely little trick whereby you knit 2 separate needles of stitches as one, with the 3rd needle. Absolutely beautiful finish! Amazing.
2. Frog - this means undo what you have done; basically "ripit ripit" ... ho ho. When you have finished admiring the 3 needle cast (whoops) bind off, you notice you have affixed the wrong side to the back - hence the button band now hangs rather nattily under the armpit. Useful!
3. Tink - this is undoing your knitting stitch by stitch (indeed, it is knit backwards, double ho ho ho)

So, am now in joyous position of Frogging and Tinking, so I can get back to where I was at 3pm this afternoon. I know what it was ... excitement .... Was hoping to post an FO, was desperate to start queued sideways jacket - worse was hoping to flounce around in it tomorrow, taking photos and feeling fulfilled. So last use of favourite swearword before I go have a glass of red to drown my sorrows - Bullocks!

Happy knitting xx

So close ... yet so far (unfinished ..)

2008-05-14T13:41:00.000-07:00

Well, have now completed back, rhs front, lhs front, two sleeves ... just have button\button hole bands and finishing to go.
The pattern gradually drove me mad ...it seems simple enough, but at the end was getting left twist and right twists muddled!
Anyway, am within sight of touchdown, so am thinking of casting on for next project ... except, I know I am a serial starter and an intermittent finisher, so am delaying the start in the hope of a finish worthy of champions.
Why is it that ALL the best things in life are more exciting at the start?
I'm also toying, for yet another project, with blending some Noro silk garden with some Debbie Bliss pure silk ... the colours are a match made in a rainbow; the gauge is a wee bit off, so think I am going to have to think about needle swapping (in a non junkie sort of way). Ho hum .... thinking also at this point a glass of wine will oil the cogs in the brain!
cheers and happy knitting
xx

Might as well face it I'm addicted to stash

2008-05-09T14:54:00.000-07:00

So ... now it has got to the point where I'm not even confessing here to the whole of my addiction ... does life get any better than knitting, shopping, shopping, buying, ebaying and blogging?
Have bought more wool and will have to confess to it soon ... however, all you secret hoarders will join with me when I say it whispered in my ear, called to me from afar, sent signals from across the ether and seduced me with a soft, silken smile.
So, I need to add photos to the stash and, worse, knit faster and better so I can reduce the stash to FO deficit ...
still working hard at silk cardigan
still have cotton jacket at no 1 in next project stakes
still need to acquire 6 more sets of hands to catch up with project desires
Sending love and hugs
xxx

Rabbits Raveling and Ragout

2008-05-02T16:14:00.000-07:00

Hello and Hi

It's not everyday I get accosted by a rabbit but today, having finally received my invitation to Ravelry, I got invited to join the Oddballs. Having been invited to join a group hosted by a raving rabbit made me feel quite alice like so perhaps my next project should be a blue silk dress, white apron and a velvet headband. So "thank you" Jan for the invitation and hi all you maniacs.

Strangely am now on a project involving blue silk (I adore debbie bliss) though no headbands .... will work on that next along with aprons! It's a gorgeous cardigan from the latest Interweave knits mag ... but I'm knitting it with the blue pure silk from DB. Not sure who does a pattern for velvet headbands, then again I'm not sure I'd knit one anyway!

So I'm glad to be here and I'm appreciative of my invitatons to join both Ravelry and Odd Squad - I never knew there was a niche somewhere just designed for me, but hey it found me anyway!

Hope to chat to you all soon, meanwhile Happy Friday!

Love and hugs

Chris

ps Tonight cooked loin of lamb fillets on bed of leeks, glazed with a madeira sauce and topped with heart, star and flower shaped pastry hats, with orange caramalised carrots, and lyonnaise potatoes .... so no ragout at all! Yum

First one for me

2008-04-21T11:54:00.000-07:00

So .... take

one slightly used blogger

Some virgin wool

and

A splash of extra virgin olive oil ...

All gently marinating with a small glass of wine while the football whines in the background.

I am a victim of torture and slow death by Sports TV. His tv schedule encompasses football (soccer), golf, rugby (league and union), cricket, tennis, darts, snooker and the Olympics have yet to start! So ... for me - new knits, some favorite recipes and perhaps a small glass of wine.

Have found several, very welcoming sites (OO Sexy Knitters Club - great name, friendly people); I am getting in touch with my inner pearl (lol) and am off the starting block (sports is contagious|) with this, my first knitting blog.

I'm starting a light-weight, asymmetrical top in bamboo - the first time I've used it and it is handling beautifully. Will get up to speed on posting both better blogs and photos very soon ...

So, wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope your patterns stay on track.

Love and hugs

Knit 1 - Football 0

11 months later

Visit from the angry sister

Train wreck

Rictus - fixed grin, or grimace!

Nearing the end of a decade

DH's drug issues!

Not so easy jetting.

More goose, much cat sitting, most everything

Seriously silly week

And Happy New Year, etc, etc, etc

Soctopuses, sausage fruits and sagacity

And the beat goes on ....

Sometimes, just sometimes, hubby gets it right

Interesting times

Who is mad?

Over 80 support group

Phone calls from the hedge

Say hi to the pretty things

A wedding, an 80th, a 60th and an honorable mention!

14 hours 45 minutes and counting!

Bride Groom and Bat-eared Bunny

And top of the evening to you ...

Arggh ... now what do I do

Not a bad weekend really

The groom is late ....

Emerging from winter

Still falls the silence

Trouble comes in two by two

Cables and florals

Hasta la tortilla baby

New hearing aid

Happy Birthday for yesterday RB

I see ... visitors from afar

So ... nothing for ages ...

Where did I put ....

1960s Aldermaston, 1970s Vietnam ...

Knit, knit, forget the stress

Wild eyed maniac with twitching fingers .....

Gardens, twins and sunshine

A cold, yoyo yarn, yoyo the cat and hoops!

A sugar rush

Possibly

How much do I love them? Let me count the ways

Lady of Shallot, onions and leeks!

The insanity of gardening

What if the world goes bankrupt and other such questions?

Life, the universe, and thoughts on recyling

Strange days indeed

Not going to get rich by knitting!

Ripples in the backwater and Virgin sock knitter

Happy Birthday Beth and Ellie

More post .... and a bit of Amy Winehouse

So relaxed have melted over top of pants!

Norah Gaughan Vol 1 (Berrocco) - Manon

It's Benign!!!

Interesting times!

Radical Rearrangements Part 2

Just a touch obsesssssssive

Banished for being unsexy

slow spiral into insanity

Why do I love yarn ... let me count the ways

It's tag .... ooo

Star Signs, knitting styles and random nonsense

Favourite swearword now worn out ...

So close ... yet so far (unfinished ..)

Might as well face it I'm addicted to stash

Rabbits Raveling and Ragout

First one for me