Another week in paradise..

Get the health grumble over and done quickly, my health has continued to be erratic, have had a number of bad days/nights to contend with plus usual (and unusual) everyday life - but as this seems now to be my 'normal' - on the whole have been coping ok I suppose. Fatigue and Brain Fog feels heavier this week, I'm not always getting in proper quality sleep, or rest in the day time - so there I guess somewhere lies the answer? I need to focus back on the course advise, I've lapsed a bit. I also suspect my sniffles are an impending bug, as some of the family are feeling poorly with cold bugs? Eugh..

Happier more fun topics! Knitting has really been fun lately despite my fatigue!.
I have the most WIPs at one go ever OTNs! (work in progress projects) - I've something on the needles to suit my varying energy and brain abilities!

I've got:
* Baby Cardigan with Hood
* Spring Forward Socks
* Ishbel Shawl
* Wash Cloth/ Kitchen Cloths
* Petersburg Cardigan
* Irish Hiking Scarf

The recent news from our son and dil means I've been happily choosing baby patterns to do for them! lol. I love knitting small cute clothes for tinies :)

At the weekend I cast on for a hooded baby cardigan using Sirdar Snuggly DK and Sirdar First Steps 292 book, Pattern Project 19 - (more details on my Ravelry).

My darling hubby recently gave me a lovely gift of a set of Knit Pro Symfonie Interchangeable cirular needles! I am over the moon, they are gorgeous! We got them from Get Knitted and they were really fast processing the order and I got them within a week! I'm so pleased with them, I'm now using them to knit the Ishbel shawl. My hubby is so supportive of my hobby, he loves home knit things. Nice to have him 'on side' lol! It still doesn't stop him rolling his eyes, when I 'just couldn't resist that yarn..', yet again.. (sigh)

Attaching a few photos

Knitting Update and Cloth Swap Gifts

I received my Cloth Swap parcel today from Studentka - and opening the parcel revealed a vibrant red/pink/white dishcloth in Peaches & Crème (my fave cotton cloth yarn), a lovely pot of moisturiser, a very useful note pad, a postcard and a yummy bar of chocolate - which has since been three quarters eaten! The cloth has pride of place in my little kitchen corner in my bedroom :)

My other knitting projects have ground to a bit of a halt due to flare ups, I've made a number of washing up cloths in plain cotton from my stash, and joined on the next ball of yarn to the Irish Hiking Scarf, so I'm more than half way through it now.

My first learner attempts at starting a lace shawl for my mum needs to be frogged and restarted again, I'll get there but it may take a few goes! My yarn overs are a bit dodgy and my centre stitch is far from centred!

Well, I shouldn't go short on cloths for a while..

My health hasn't been too bright lately with the ol' cfs/me thang driving me up the wall, making me feel unhappy and useless! Knitting, amongst other things, has been too much to pick up, I have several projects on the go and haven't had energy or focus for them.

I got really fed up of myself so I turned to knitting some easy washcloths after taking part in a cloth swap on Phoenix Forum. My swap buddy said she loved hers, and hubby took a shine to them and 'comissioned me' to make him some for some chocolate! He says to me that I have a job for life now! LOL! I think I will be putting my prices up though..

The good thing with these cloths is I can make them without too much strain on the joints etc, and they are even dead easy to make if I've taken to my bed. I use short 4mm needles, so any night knitting I manage to keep to my side of the bed without causing any danger to hubby sleeping.

I have a bit of an addiction going at the moment for Peaches & Creme 100% Cotton Yarn, I've made two orders so far from Create & Knit. Super fast service and delivery from them, that's helping my new addiction! There are soooo many colours, plain and patterned - I'll be going back a good few times before I'm bored.

Also loving the new Phoenix Forum - it's such a lovely community of knitters - and great company when I'm having bad days - to be able to dip in and join in the chat, see other knitters work and learn something along the way. A great distraction and uplifting too.

Added a few photos of my latest creations ;)

Needles Galore!

Wow, I finally got around to listing my knitting needles on Ravelry at long last. Worthy of a mention, considering I've been wanting to do this for months and months. I didn't realise how many I had, from my nicest ones that hubby bought me, to not so good freebie ones from magazines and some hand-me-downs. I even found my 'learner' knitting needles, old size UK 10's , aawwww..

I took a couple of photos amidst my chaos today: the pile of knitting needles on the bed and my messy table with knitting stuff all over it, burying the keyboard and making the pc bleep!

Last night was the first night in maybe months, I've lost track - that I managed a better number of hours sleep. I woke up with a sense of relief to find that it wasn't 2 a.m or 4 a.m!
The weather has been fine and bright today, and cheering to see - it was pleasant to open the windows and hear the songs the birds were singing. What was that bird? The one that sounded like a squeaky supermarket trolley?

As the sun is going down, I'm feeling better than I did yesterday, and I've achieved something that's been bugging me for months :) ;) Not bad at all..

Time for an update

Knitting update: Have done well and finished one item and cast on for two more. I've spent more time on Ravelry lately, and a couple of knitting forums also.
I've been browsing through a lot of free dishcloth patterns as I've joined a knitting forum Dishcloth Swap KAL - there is so much choice, I'm not sure what ones to do?
I've bought 3 balls of Peaches and Creme 100% cotton yarn, so I'll probably use the straight forward easy pattern and do a few - the cotton is so pretty it probably doesn't need much of a pattern. Maybe I'll do a few more using different patterns as well, and then choose the best one for my give away. Perhaps I should do 2 of each as I might not want to part! LOL

I did my first bit of 'garden knitting' yesterday - the weather was warm and spring like - lovely :)

Added photos of finished hat and beginning of scarf - details on Ravelry for yarn and pattern.

My new next month resolution - concentrate on my knitting

My latest project is Dawn Adcocks Sock Yarn hat pattern and it's the first time I've had to do a provisional cast on and 'pick up' live stitches. I'm half way through it now, and back to to the cast on edge to do the second side. Well, It didn't go quite to plan, the cast on didn't unravel very easily and I had to unpick each one individually - but still, I didn't lose any of the stitches so I'm very happy with that. :) I will have to practice my invisible cast on before I do that again. DH chose the yarn and he is really pleased the way the colours are knitting up. I'm using Opal Yarn, Rainforest 3, Oskar the dreamer 2035 - shades of blue/cream/white.

Also I've made our granddaughter a fluffy scarf using Wendy Chic, just a ordinary garter stitch scarf. I reserved a little yarn back to make a matching dolly scarf for her favourite doll. She's very pleased with it because it's shiny and glittery.

I decided to make a new months resolution for March - to make more time for knitting and myself! I've already ordered some yarn - and can't wait for it to arrive!

CFS/ME

Very disillusioned with myself at the moment - flare up of symptoms and senses are sensitive, noise and light a bit much.
After waiting and waiting, I'm at last going to the CFS/ME Self Help course and have met some really lovely people, both sufferers and NHS people that run it.
I'm finding that there are not many surprises in the course so far, they're going over ground that basically most of us have figured out for ourselves over the time we've had this condition. Not dismissing the fact that what they are telling us is very useful, and worthy of being reminded of. I still have a few more sessions to attend, so can't give a complete opinion yet.

I have been trying to follow a lot of their guidance, but we are all different and these theories are not a cure all, and I'm finding that my condition is fluctuating madly at the moment and insomnia is a problem. I'm trying hard to keep myself distracted and active without pushing myself too far which has been very hard going. As long as I pace, the best distraction for me when I've some energy, is my knitting, photography, knitting forums and Ravelry and listening to the radio. I'm finding 'house, going out and life things' require too much physical and mental energy at the moment.

It's a real nice thought that we are nearer Spring time now - and I'll be glad when the lighter days are back again. Our granddaughter brings much light at home at the moment, it's wonderful how she brings something new into each day.

I've bought yet another 'How to beat CFS/ME' book called The Perrin Technique - I've not had the brain to read it yet, it looks daunting, I've flicked through the pages and noticed headlines such as mercury fillings.. I've got dentist on Friday so wondering if I should read that first?

Enough now..

Re birth of our knitting community

Spread the word! - due to the grand efforts from dedicated folks, there's been a re birth for the knitting community that used to use Angel Yarns Forums - head for the new forum - Phoenix Knitting Forums.

You can find out what's been going on via Ravelry and the Angel Yarn Group Discussion board there.

Long live the Phoenix!