Looking forward to my present!

I'm looking forward to my Christmas gift from my daughter - hopefully arriving soon!!. It's called 'Ultimate Knitting Bible' by Sharon Brant
I can't wait...

That's Christmas done for another year..

The socks I knitted for our offspring was well received and worn immediately! I was pleased that they liked them, and liked the colours chosen for them.
Here's a photo of them all modelling their socks on Christmas Day, with our granddaughter who is wondering when she'll get a pair made for her!

Nursing a Cold & No Knitting :(

Feeling poorly with only the company of menthol and tissues, piles and piles of tissues..
No body loves you when you have a drippy nose and unpleasant cough..

No energy to knit - so I've spent a little time on the Internet and managed to connect to 'Let's Knit' Magazine/Blog/Forum. I signed up back in April, it's been ages and it's changed a bit - looks like a fair bit of catching up to do there. I noticed there's some instructional videos which can be useful. I'm looking forward to looking at Let's Knit site and forum soon.

Hubby downloaded something called Miro (?) and downloaded some Cat Bourdhi video clips - they were a bit pixelated on our screen but I had a few 'A-Ha!' moments, pennies dropping a few times with her instructions. She uses bright multicoloured yarn and big yarn and needles, so even I can see it! Her verbal instructions are very entertaining, with the 'Udder needle', and 'Hungry Stitch' a couple of examples - oh and the 'ladies with their coiffured hair'!

Hopefully I'll be over this bug soon, cos I've still got our granddaughters jumper to finish for Christmas - I'm sooo near to finishing, just the sewing up arms and sides.

Just in case I don't blog again soon - Seasons Greetings and all the best for the new year!

Lets Knit2gether Video podcast

I've just come across a video podcast which is friendly, informative and entertaining.
It's made by a wife and husband team, Cat and Eric, and I'm finding it strangely addictive!

They are trying to raise funds for new equipment, to keep the show going. So if you like what you see and fancy 'chipping in' a few dollars - they are asking for every ones help.

You can download their programmes via i tunes as well as their website.
Click on Lets Knit2gether

Another pair of socks completed

Finished another pair of socks, I'm pleased with them, they've turned out well and very colourful.
I've used Opal 4ply yarn #1932 and 2.5mm dpns.

I cast on quickly for the last pair of socks I've planned to do this year - unless I get tempted!
I've a few sock patterns I want to try next, but I must stick to my 'must finish first' projects.
(Will the will power last?)

Time to Blog!

Knitting Front:

I've been enjoying my knitting, so great to be knitting again, therapeutic and grounding - but I need to pace myself which I'm finding very difficult - when you are so 'into' what you're knitting, personally speaking - I find myself trying to ignore anything that tries to interfere with 'my time'!

I have this little all wise 'voice' in my head at times. I say little - the image I have is more a 'jiminy cricket with a megaphone' shouting 'STEP AWAY FROM THE KNITTING!!'

I know this wise voice is right - so many times I have messed up knitting by thinking 'just one more row'. I'm just like a big kid who doesn't what to go to bed at times!! Oh well.. I'm learning..


I'm now onto my third pair of socks, I'm finding the colour of the yarn addles my vision a bit, bit of a pain counting the stitches but my lamp with magnifier really helps.

My second pair of socks are finished, I've had a few headaches with the toe section of the second one, and was baffled why I was having problems. I think I was knitting with two bunches of bananas and not hands that day!

CFS/ME Front

Not happy at the moment, disillusioned in a word. Since coming back off holiday I've been really rough with flare up and mostly stuck in the house, shouldn't have been so suprised - but I was hoping that with taking vitamins, omegas, DRibose etc that things would be much improved.- I just got my hopes up like you do. Back to pacing and being 'kind' to myself - hope it doesn't take too long so I can go out again. Knitting has just been so valuable in saving my mood.

I saw the doctor before my holiday, and we tried changing the tablets, I don't think that's working, and had to resort to the high dose co dydramol again last night - the back problems have returned much to my discomfort! Still, mustn't grumble. I don't plan to write about my CFS/ME every month - it would be just too repetitive and I want my blog to be positive, so as much as possible I'll try and stick to that!

On that note.. Back to pacing, time to rest.

Catching up again...

Just come back from a week down devon way - so nice down there, shame about the weather, but at least it was more reasonable than last week and August!! The accomodation was self catering and it was just lovely.

Catching up on the Knitting front, I at last finished my socks that I started about 2 years ago at the begining of the month!

I was so chuffed and quickly cast on the next lot while the enthusiasm was high and I had enough battery! LOL! The penny seemed to drop, and I was enjoying knitting them.

Knitting the first of the second pair of socks seemed easier, and I feel more relaxed with the dpns now.

I took the 'second' second sock on hols with me, and I finished casting off on Saturday (but hadn't cut the yarn thankfully) when I noticed a run/ hole near the toe! I was mortified for a moment, how did that happen?!

Yesterday I used a circlular needle to pick through stitches below the start of the toe, and knitted back up to the start of the toe decrease - so hopefully I shall be finished on my SECOND pair of socks tomorrow forces permitting!

I joined Rowan last Friday afternoon, as when we visited Bovey Tracey I popped into Spin A Yarn, to say hello - and fell for a Rowan cardigan up on a hanger - will try to find a picture later when I get the magazine/pattern, and I'll blog it's progress when I get around to starting it. I've got the yarn ready in anticipation!

First though I have socks to make and our grandaughters Tiger jumper that I started in January!

Love our little grandaughters t shirt!

On the CFS/ME front, I coped pretty well with the holiday, albeit at a very slow pace and minding everything and planning ahead carefully with lots of rest breaks, a few blips but I hope that my trial self therapy etc using the info in the book I recently bought, and the beefy multivitamins and omega tablets and DRibose sugar played a big part in surviving the week - still got a way to go but you have to keep optimistic and give things a chance. Needless to say (to those of you who know CFS/ME from personal experience) you won't be suprised to hear I spent a good deal of time over the weekend resting still and sleeping in bed with flare up and exhaustion!

Back to pacing, so I will 'sensibly' sign off now.

Me feet feel great!

Ooooh, my feet feel lovely!
Just been for my yearly treat - a visit to Sole Sisters in Brighton. Lovely Jane made my feet feel a treat! So that's what i call my yearly feet m.o.t, and I'm all set for the year ahead feet wise.

On the knitting front, I have some dark brown handspun yarn that I'm going to make into a scarf for my hubby, I'm dithering over what size needles to use. I've been on the interweave website, and vaguely learned about wpi (wraps per inch) - so I'm off to find my old school ruler and hopefully choose the right size!

This morning..

I went to the ME/CFS support meeting at the Lewes Riverside Cafe, I had a lovely breakfast and a great view of the Harveys Brewery!

The staff are great there, really helpful and cheerful - really worth a visit if you've never been there before.

I enjoyed the train journey, I love seeing the fields and greenery, the weather was so hot and humid I was getting bugged by storm flies, those little black blips that irritate your skin - euch!

Day One in the Big Blogger House . . .

Well, Day One - let's try again!

Just finding my way around Blogger, this is my latest go at blogging - this is work in progress and will probably take many goes, lots of rest breaks, lots of caffeine and chocolate = one over worked very fried brain cell!

I'll be back..