UFO's

1. Noro Legwarmers.

2. Rowan Cardigan.  I might be able to face it after I’ve had my operation and I need something to do.

3. Sirdar Extra Chunky Tank Top. I hate...hate....hate it....

4. Sirdar Big Softie Scarf.

5. Surprise Knitted Blanket.

6. Sew buttons onto baby surprise jacket.  It’s pink so it will be donated to our pink baby.

7. Waterfall cardigan for me.

8. Surprise Dummy Button Cardigan.

9. Granny Square blanket.

10. Fingerless gloves.

11. Little flags for the shop window.

12. Another Sirdar baby cardigan.

Secret Knitting

So...it’s time to unveil my secret knitting.

My brother and his wife have been expecting a baby and I’m very pleased to say she arrived on Saturday.  Mummy, Baby, Daddy and Dog are very well and at home.

Anyway...this is what I’ve been up too all these months.   I looked and looked for something suitable for a boy or a girl and also something that was traditional and that she/he would be able to keep.  I looked through many modern patterns but they just weren’t as nice.  I settled on a Sirdar blanket from a book of old Sirdar baby patterns.  It is knitted in Sirdar Snuggly.

I started knitting at the end of October and worked out that I needed to do 10 rows per day to be finished in time, allowing for days when I wasn’t well.  It was a good job I allowed for those days as not long after I started I ended up poorly with a tummy bug which I think I got from the hospital and it knocked my off my feet for about 2 weeks.  So I was already 140 rows behind before I’d even started!!

It’s not a difficult pattern but you need to concentrate, each square with a petal is done individually and worked diagonally so at most you only have 35 stitches, so the 10 row thing isn’t too bad.  Each petal is raised and stand out.  Don’t ask me how because I have no idea but it just does, it's probably something to do with the decreasing.  I ended up working two or three petals at a time and then taking the stocking stitch part to my knitting group so I wouldn’t make a mistake.



So this is 4 worked squares sewn together.

I also got a brilliant tip from our resident knitting expert at Knit Chic's.  Sew up as you go...and I did.  The thought of sewing up 24 squares didn’t fill me with much confidence.  So I sewed two together, then another two together, then the first two to the second two and so on, and so on.  The biggest challenge was sewing the middle of the work but I did it in stages.  I also had to do two rows of double crochet around the edge which again was a bit of a challenge but I did it with a little help from my knitting friends.

The crotchet boarder was a bit of a challenge.

I wanted to do something else so I decided on a Sirdar Snuggly cardigan which came free with a copy of Simply Knitting.  http://simplyknitting.themakingspot.com/

I’ve done it in yellow (which I think they call duckling) and put on some dummy buttons which I think these are the best bit of the whole cardigan.  After doing the blanket this has flown up really quickly and I’m really pleased with it.  The arms are really long but there's nothing I can do about that now.  I’m doing another one at the moment in a pale green for another lady who has just had a little boy.  A lady from knitting has shown me how to knit the back and front together so I don’t have to sew up the sides.

The best part is the dummy buttons.

Being a Volunteer can be good!

I’ve been a little busy over the last few weeks.  I’ve been doing some extra work for Arthritis Care.  I am involved with a local branch.  My friend Seona and I have been writing a newsletter for all our members.

It all started about 18 months ago when our hydrotherapy pool at our local hospital was closed.  We had, at the time got 2 groups using the pool, one that ran weekly and one fortnightly.  It wasn’t just Arthritis Care that was affected but it was other self help groups including The National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society www.nass.co.uk and of course in patients at the hospital. 

So we (I say ‘we’ loosely as I didn't really have much to do with it!) along with NASS and others set about at saving the pool for those people who use it.  There was a lot of letter writing, photos in local papers etc and eventually just before last Christmas the pool was re opened, much to our amazement.  It was decided that all members of our branch needed to know what we get up too and where their donations go.  We have over 100 members, most of whom don’t attend the our monthly meetings and perhaps think that Arthritis Care is just a bunch of old ladies sitting round moaning, and although we do have a moan Arthritis Care is far from that.  We wanted to reach out to those people who either can't or don't want to attend the meetings and the only way to do that is by a funky newsletter.

So Seona and I set to work and over the last few weeks we've drank copious amounts of coffee and had a lot of laughs.  We've spent quite a while doing it because as you can imagine we cannot sit for hours and hours over a computer.  On the days I could not manage to lift my arms up and type, Seona did it all and vice versa.  We are meeting tomorrow to sort the last few bits, stamps; envelopes etc and then it can be posted.

I’ve enjoyed doing it, but mainly because I’ve been working with Seona.  It’s like anyone you work with, it’s a lot easier.  With voluntary work though, you can always walk away and I think it takes quite a strong person to stay and stick it out, even when you really don’t like what you’re doing.  I do find it hard sometimes.  By nature of the condition, most people I work with are a lot older than me and I can find that hard, particularly at meetings and they just can’t understand a young perspective.  That’s why it’s so refreshing to work with Seona and I feel like we’ve really achieved something.

Bondi

Just had to tell you how much I love Bondi Rescue.

My shoulder is really sore again and I'm not having the best nights sleep, so watching Bondi on good old youtube is keeping me going.

Check it out, it's the best tv programme I've seen in a long time.

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Eastenders

Just when I was starting to give up on Eastenders because I was getting board, the writers have given me some amazing lines which really made me giggle. I wanted to share them with you.

My fella has been servicing your mum!

Well well well, look what the cat threw up!

You may change your knickers more then the rest of us but... your not really classy are you!

And my personal favourite.

You've just found out that your fella has been weeding some other woman's garden!

And that was all in one episode.

I can wait to add these gems to my list of one liners!

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A UFO Update

1. Noro Legwarmers. (Almost done but went and left a needle at my friends house!)

2. Rowan Cardigan.  I can't face it...I really can't, I've had to unpick it twice.

3. Sirdar Extra Chunky Tank Top.  I don't like it anymore, I think it will be frogged.

4. The baby thing I will probably undo and then knit a hoodie if we have a pink baby in the family.  I have made the decision to undo this rubbish.  It looks good but I can't be bothered.

5. Sirdar Big Softie Scarf.

6. Surprise Knitting.  It's almost time to reveal what I've been working on all these months.

7. Blue Baby Hoodie.

8. Sew buttons onto baby surprise jacket.

9. Waterfall cardigan from Let's knit.  I got the yarn yesterday and cast on last night.  It's a really simple pattern for when I have my operation and I don't have to concentrate.

10. More surprise knitting. ARRRGGGGGHHHHHHHH

 

11. I've started having a go at granny squares.  After doing the shawls I know I can do it.  I am going to slowly do myself a blanket.  Photo's to come.

 

And technically these are not in my UFO's because I haven't cast them on but I know I need to do them.

 

12. Fingerless gloves. A birthday present for my friend.  I haven't started them yet so they don't quite count but I know I need to do them. 

 

13. Bunting for the Yarn Shop window in Stone.  We're all doing a few flags.

Secret Knitting!

I have just finished my secret knitting.

Nearly 5 months, 1512 rows, many many stitches and a bit of crochet later, it is all done.

I'm pleased it's all done and I have enjoyed doing it, but I'm not sure I'll do it again any time too soon.

I still can't tell you what it is, but all will be revealed.

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