Summer knitting

We've had a really hot summer so far & it's been so warm that my choice of knitting has been affected. I had planned to finish Lady Eleanor by the end of July but being sick got in the way


28 tiers of Lady Eleanor

I've now put her down until it gets cooler & instead am knitting a headband for DD:


black lace headband for DD

I'm using Rowan Hand Knit Cotton, from my stash, in black which has proven difficult to photograph properly.

The insects are enjoying my garden so I'll leave you with these:


Butterfly


Butterfly


Butterfly


Butterfly


Butterfly

Thank you Devon Knitter

My One Skein Pal has proven herself to be a star again. Last week I mentioned that I'd received a parcel - I'm really sorry that it's taken so long to share it & want to apologise to my pal.


One Skein Pal card & chocolates

DD loved the card & laughed her head off. The postman pushed the parcel through the letterbox so forcefully that the jiffy bag burst open & this is what DH saw strewn over the door mat:


Opal Acapulco 1306

My pal didn't know this but I've been coverting this colourway since I saw someone using it at the Funky Socks weekend but was good & didn't buy it for myself.

My One Skein Pal has given me a variety of clues about herself including her address but I'm still no wiser as to who she is!

Good vibes working

Thanks everyone for the virtual hugs & get well soons. I'm starting to feel alive again but get tired very easily. This was demonstrated last night when I went to knitting club & was knackered by 7 pm! No late night clubbing for me.

I picked up Lady Eleanor again yesterday but it's just too hot to knit it at the moment. Piglottie was knitting a headband last night that appealed me so I've started one in black for DD. I've been wanting to make her a headband for ages but couldn't be bothered to reduce the size for a child & this one is tied with i-cord so one size will fit all. I'm also planning to knit another two for my nieces as we're all going on holiday together next week (myself, DH, DD, SIL, BIL & their 3 children + MIL as there's nobody left here to look after her) & it'll be nice cool summer knitting in cotton.

MIL had been booked to feed the cats & Vince as she lives a few doors away from us so now I'm searching for alternatives. Vince is booked into stay with 'Rabbit Liz' who charges the grand sum of £1 per day too look after a hamster (more for rabbits but not much) & I've still got the cats to sort out but haven't asked anybody yet - it shouldn't be a problem. The dogs come with us & love caravan holidays & love getting attention from new people & lots of walks. Although I don't think I'll be up to long walks somehow.

Knitting content tomorrow I promise with photos....

Will it ever end?

I've dragged myself to work for the past few days & felt absolutely cr*p. I've now got a chest infection to keep the virus company. I went back to the doctors this afternoon & have been signed off work for a week & am on strong pain killers with anti-biotics.

Needless to say nothing is happening on the knitting front & you'll have to wait a bit longer for the photos as DH is on swimming duty as I'm not up to taxing DD back & forth to the pool.

I just want to be well again & enjoy life. I'm rarely ill & normally happily bounce through life. Now everything is hurting & I'm fed up

Still alive....

I'm still here but have had a rough few days. I made it into work on Friday but left two hours later in absolute agony. In fact I didn't feel able to drive so one of my colleagues drove me home & DH had to get a lift later that day so he could bring the car home.

The horrendous pain wasn't in my chest (that's still with me like an every present unwelcome guest) but a totally gut wrenching monster in my lower stomach. I was crippled with it & spent the rest of Friday in bed. I managed to get out of bed on Saturday as DD was going on an away meet with the swimming club so I went to see her off on what should have been our weekend of freedom but instead we stayed in as I wasn't up to much.

A chance conversation with Piglottie on Saturday gave me a clue as to the cause of the pain. The doctor had told me to take 2 Nurofen tablets 3 times a day to help with the chest pain but these cause stomach problems. I spoke to a pharmacist in the chemist as I was running out of the tablets & she dismissed this theory as the pain was too low down (in her opinion) & was more in the position for appendicitis. However I hadn't collapsed & died yet so that was dismissed. Instead she sent me to the nearby minor injuries unit who prompt rejected me as they didn't deal in abdominal pain & referred me to the Accident & Emergency unit at the local hospital.

Now I sure most of you have experienced your local A&E & it wasn't somewhere I wanted to spend any time particularly not on a Saturday afternoon. So I decided to try out Piglottie's theory & stopped taking the tablets. I last took one at 9 a.m. yesterday morning & experienced a lot of pain yesterday. This morning however when I woke up the worst was over. I've still had a few twinges today but not the crippling pain that I had been having. So Nurofen & I had a very short & dramatic relationship - one which has left a lasting impression on me & will NOT be repeated. I've still got chest pain but that's bearable in comparison to what I've had over the last few days. And a BIG thanks to Piglottie who has saved me from more pain

DD had a fab time on her first chaperoned away meet. The kids were apparently up until 3 a.m. this morning, one slept in the bath, another on the floor & a 3rd boy wet the bed! DD came home bouncing as she's eaten all sorts of rubbish that we don't let her near including 'liquid candy' in a canister that you squirt into your mouth - urgh!!! So the next few days she'll be detoxing I think. According to DD her swimming was brilliant but I'll find out her times when I see the coach at training tomorrow night. It's hard to comprehend how any of them performed well on so little sleep & a diet of sugar.

Knitting - well not much has been happening at all recently for obvious reasons. Before I got sick I finished the present for my One Skein Pal & am now knitting a matching item to go with it - my own design based upon the design of the first item. Confused, don't be. All will be revealed once she knows who I am & I'll post pics here.

My own One Skein Pal has been a star & sent me a fantastic present yesterday. The only clue I can give you is that DH woke me up by shouting upstairs

"There's sock yarn all over the door mat!"

Photos soon......

Thank you Secret Pal

My SP has done it again. A beautifully wrapped parcel sent to tempt me but I was strong & waited until a pictures had been taken:


Presents from my Secret Pal

My pal is a whizz at card making & I now know that also applies to wrapping paper too - look here for a close up.


Lana Grossa Cotton Spirit

I adore the colours in this yarn & can't wait to use it. In fact it's now caused a bit of a dilema. I need to do the second Lacy Scallop sock (see the first one here) & had then planned to make a pair for DH with the Lana Grossa Mega Boot Stretch that I bought when he whinged that I hadn't made any for him yet. Mmmm will have to be unselfish & do his first.

My SP also included some Lush goodies as she's also a massive fan:


Lush gifts

The 'Big Blue' bathbomb is a favourite of hers & I can't wait to try the bubble bath bar on the right.

With all these plus the present s from my Not So Secret Pal I'm feeling rather spoilt which is nice as I feel awful. I started feeling ill yesterday with a very sore chest, a sore throat & no energy. A trip to the doctor today & I've got a viral infection in my intercostal muscles called Tietze's Syndrome which explains why it hurts so much to breathe. I spent the morning sleeping & have pottered around the house this afternoon. Apparently it can take 6-8 weeks to clear up but I need to be back on my feet a lot sooner than that.

Whoops

When I wrote about my Not So Secret Pal & the presents that she gave me I missed one out so here it is:


blue paw print stitch markers

However she didn't realise the significance of these. Blue is named after a cartoon dog (full explanation here) and this cartoon dog & his friends solve mysteries. The clues are found on the backs of large blue paw prints & I remember watching this programme with DD when she was a toddler. So I was really touched when I opened the package & will treasure them. They've also got 'lobster' clips which makes it easy to remove them from the needle or yarn & will be really useful. Thanks again Piglottie

Knitting content

Amongst all the broken bones & escaping hamsters there has been some knitting going on:


Mobile phone cover in Opal Sugar Magic 1041

Pattern as before but this time I cast on 14 stitches on each needle so a total of 28 with The Turkish Cast On & increased up to 22 stitches per needle before knitting up the body of the phone. Yarn used: Opal Sugar Magic in shade 1041 which came my way via a swap teamed up with matching beads. Needles: 2x 2.5mm addi turbo circulars.

I made this cover for a friend who stepped in to help us last week. We had concert tickets booked ages ago as was the babysitter (MIL) but as she'd just come out of hospital suddenly that wasn't an option. So this dear friend stepped in at very short notice, collected DD from training, made sure she was showered & hair dried & had her overnight on a school night to enable us to go.

I'm also knitting something for my One Skein Pal but no photos until she's received it & I've revealed who I am. So for now just a teaser.....


Secret knitting

It's currently hiding in the stuff sac sent to me by The Stripey Tiger which has proved to be a very useful accessory & travels with me constantly. I hope she likes what I'm making for her.

My 'Not So Secret' Pal

In this round of Secret Pal I was sending to a woman who frustrated me. She wasn't good at communicating & often took a days to reply to emails. She received her parcel but took a couple of days to tell me & as it was an overseas posting I was very worried that she hadn't received it. Then something else happened & both myself and the hostess had had enough.

Piglottie was also having a tough time spoiling someone and our hostess then had the fantastic idea that we spoil each other!

At knitting club on Friday we exchanged our first parcel & look what she gave me:


a handmade card

This is the second handmade card that she's given me & is just as beautiful as the first.


Folk Shawls by Cheryl Oberle

I've been meaning to get this book for ages ever since I borrowed Susoolu's copy & fell in love with it.

Then some of her home made soap:


homemade lavender & vanilla soap

I don't like the smell of commercially made lavender fragrance but this is fanastic & doesn't give me a headache. It's going to sit on a dish in the bathroom to make everything smell lovely for now as I've just opened a new bar of soap but it'll be next in the soap dish.

Then a ball of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK as I love both Baby Cashmerino and Cashmerino Aran.


Cashmerino DK

I can see a Panta being made in this but suspect it'll get 'liberated' by DD.

Talking of DD there was also a little something for her:


Stitch Markers

Piglottie has also made some for Susoolu in pink & black & DD was drooling at them when we all met up for the Knitting World Cup much to the amusement of those who knew what was going on.

There was also a small bar of Green & Blacks chocolate but I'm afraid that didn't last long enough to wait for the photo shoot

Thanks so much Piglottie for such a thoughtful parcel & I've also had a lot fun chosing your presents

Update on bad news

Finally an update on all our bad news. DH collected his mum just over a week ago & she was pottering around very sore & bruised but just about managing. DD was visiting every day after school whilst I cooked her dinner as MIL lives 8 doors from us & both SIL & I were doing her shopping.

The little finger on her left hand has been badly disocated & the bone is broken in 5 places on the first bone from the hand. She was told that her right foot was suffering from tissue damage & that it should start to feel better in a week or so. A trip to her doctor & the advice that she'd be better off going go casualty at the local hospital as a referral would take weeks. So SIL took her on Monday evening. They finally came home at midnight & we were waiting to help get MIL out of the car. The hospital had put her right foot into a non-weight bearing cast as it was decided that a bone was indeed broken & she'd been given crutches. However as she's broken a finger in her left hand she couldn't walk on the crutches! They did offer her a zimmer frame but she wasn't impressed & refused. She was also given another hospital appointment the next day for her hand.

It took 3 of us to get her upstairs so that she could use the bathroom & get ready for bed so everybody was exhausted but worried about her on her own in the house when we went home to bed. As the limbs broken are on opposite sides of her body if she were to fall over she wouldn't be able to get up. She managed to get out of bed, dressed & went down the stairs on her bum by the time DD & I arrived on Tuesday morning to make her breakfast before the trip to school & work.

SIL then took her to the hospital again to keep the appointment regarding her hand. The prognosis wasn't good & she had to go in first thing this morning for an operation to wire the finger together otherwise she'd lose much of the use of the finger. Luckily that she was operated on first thing this morning so she didn't have to wait long. She is however in a lot of pain so is staying in hospital over night & will be going to stay with SIL (her daughter) once she's out until she's a bit more mobile. She's now sporting a pot on her right foot & another on her left hand & is obviously very sore.

And now for something totally different:

The ellusive hamster is back behind bars again!!! She'd been returning to take the food that we'd been leaving out every few days but apart from that we hadn't seen or heard anything of her. Our neighbours knocked on the door yesterday informing us that they'd woken up at 4 a.m. that morning to see her sat on their bed looking at them!!!

So DH set up our trap (my biggest glass vase) in their bathroom last night & they heard her scrabbling to get out early this morning. She had gotten under the floor & was having a fantastic time flitting between the two houses & coming up underneath their bath! She'll probably sulk for a few days like last time & will no doubt be hatching her next escape within days. DH is planning to get a smooth sheet of plastic which we can lay across the doorway to prevent her leaving the bedroom if she does escape. As her room also hosts the digital server (acts as a clever video) he refuses to close the bedroom door as she'd cook.

Will have to make sure that the prepared hamster cakes that DD loves to buy her don't contain any nail files......

My first pattern - Mobile phone cover!

knitted mobile phone cover

Using the left over yarn from my Oriel socks I have designed a new cover for my mobile phone. The original cover that I got with the phone lasted 6 months before the popper broke & they're £10 to replace. When I can buy a ball of Opal for £6.99 or Fyberspates for £9.99 I really don't want to waste money on a new case so I made one myself.

The instructions below are based upon my phone but can easily be adapted with a bit of trial & frogging.

Yarn used: 6g of Regia Havanna Color 4197 4 ply sock yarn.
2 x 2.5mm circular needles

Cast on 14 stitches using the The Turkish Cast On as the bottom of the phone is tapered. Total 28 stitches.

Increase to 20 stitches per needle, by M1 (lifting bar increase & knit into the back of it to twist tight) at each end of each needle(or an even number of stitches) to achieve a snug fit around the phone, with a plain knit row in between each increase row. Total 40 stitches or an even number to fit your phone snuggly.

Knit in the round (if you're not sure how to do this on circulars instructions can be found here) until you have reached the top of the phone - don't go over the top, keep it snug.

r1: K3, K2tog - repeat to end.
r2: K3, YO, K1 - repeat to end.

Knit 2 rounds.

Cast of using Picot Point chain edging (p148 in knitting on the edge)

Cast off 2 stitches, *sl st back on to left hand needle, using the cable cast on method, cast on 3 stitches, then cast off 5 stitches. To end.

Red beads from my Secret Pal 5, cord & other beads from DD's stash box of kids jewellery kits (thanks babe)


knitted mobile phone cover

Feel free to use this pattern but please leave a comment so that I can visit your blog & see what you do with it!

11/7/6 edited to add:

If you don't want to do The Turkish Cast On you could use a provisional cast on & then use kitchener stitch at the end to graft the stitches together.

17/7/6 edited to add:

I've made another one

17/9/6 and another one

Knitting World Cup completed

All of our squad have completed their Knitting World Cup projects & we met up today in the park to compare notes:


Manna Uknitted squad projects completed

Piglottie made the French Market Bag & as our coach kept us motivated & kicked butts where necessary , Piglet created a beautiful Fair Isle beret which is SO neat & Hello Mango who is a fantastic crocher ventured into the world of knitting & made a fabulous Rooster jumper for her DS. 'Baby Pearl' was created by another player who at the moment is blogless but not for long - I'll add a link to her ASAP.

Special thanks go to Susoolu who has provided help & support above & beyond the call of duty including telephone pattern support when I (twice) left the pattern at home whilst out & about knitting. DH also deserves a mention as he has been extremely patient most of the time but is very relieved to get his 'life' back now - bless

My project was a pair of lace toe up socks as I had always done cuff down patterns previously.


Finished Oriel Socks

The yarn is Regia Havanna Colour shade 4197 & came my way via a swap for an out of print Rowan book that I no longer wanted with Melody Yarns


Regia Havanna Color 4179

The pattern is Oriel from Sensational Knitted Socks . This is my second pair of socks from this book (the first being Garter Rib socks). Started 9th June & finished 8th July very early in the morning & today I'm shattered.

When I first read the pattern I couldn't get my head around the contruction of the sock so I've included an illustration of the construction below incase anybody else is puzzled as well. Most of the photos have already been seen here before but not all:


part way up the foot


foot & sole


foot, sole + heel


foot, sole,heel + stitches picked up for the gusset


foot, heel & gusset finished just the calf to go


going up the leg


Finished Oriel Socks

I have 6g of yarn left over & am making a cover for my mobile phone as the colours are perfect:


my mobile & start of a new cover

8/7/6 edited to add

I used The Turkish Cast On and a stretchy bind off for the Oriel socks both of which I was really impressed with.

Bad news

We got a phone call last night from my MIL. She has been walking the Coast to Coast walk from St Bees to Robin Hoods Bay. Just over the half way mark her & her walking companion were walking in Swaledale on Sunday afternoon when they had an accident.

MIL was just stepping over a style when the wall collapsed on top of them both. They were both buried under the rubble & MIL had her ankle trapped under a boulder. Luckily she has emerged with just a broken finger, another is dislocated & soft tissue damage to her foot & her friend has broken her arm. Fortunately they were walking with another party who were able to raise the alarm. MIL was at the hospital today as the doctor was trying to determine if her foot was broken & has another appointment tomorrow after which DH is bringing her home. This trip was a year in planning so she is understandably gutted plus in a lot of pain.

Then if that wasn't enough this morning DD discovered that Vince has escaped again Our 8 year old neice slept over on Saturday night & stayed until lunch time yesterday & one of the girls left part of the cage open

Woolfest 2006 - warning lots of images

I went to Woolfest yesterday with Susoolu & Puplet & had a great time.

There were LOTS of rare breeds of sheep on display plus other fibre producing animals. I can't remember all the breeds but will add them in as I find out what they are:


Curly Horned Sheep


Curly Horned Sheep after shearing


Alpaca


Alpacas


Gotland Sheep


Wensleydale Sheep


Wensleydale Sheep


Angora Goats


Coloured sheep


Coloured sheep after shearing


Coloured Lamb


Brown Sheep


a different Brown Sheep after shearing


coloured face sheep


White faced sheep


Knitting & Crochet Guild
There were also lots of stalls including the Knitting & Crochet Guild where I renewed my membership & bought a few treats for myself:


books & an old copy of Interweave knits

I was very good and didn't buy any yarn for myself but I did buy a variety of presents for a couple of different people. I intend to use the Ann Budd book to design a jumper or cardigan to knit up the Merino et Soie that I got for my birthday & the Elsebeth Lavold book to use up some Silky Wool and Silky Tweed that lurk in my stash. I also bought these for Knitty Fred


Wool carders & Wraps per Inch measure