Be back soon

Just to show I've started knitting after a fashion again, it's only a plain stocking stitch cushion cover, a kit I got free from a magazine subscription, but quite enough for me to cope with at present. I'm slowly recovering both from the trauma that was Monday and the chest infection from hell but I have no concentration or energy. I also have a coupe of massive bruises from them trying to take blood, I do have veins, but at the first sight of a needle they get all reluctant and shy and hide, even the one they found first gave them a smidgin of blood and then sulked, so I have three separate punctures with related bruises!

A friend of mine has offered Hecate and me somewhere to stay until Monday, I'm promised care and pampering and as much cat food as Hecate can manage so we're being collected tomorrow and I'll be back next week. My neighbour will look out for packages and hopefully I'll be much better on my return.

Herrumph!

I'd expected to return to work today, woke up still under teh weather and went to see my doctor at 3pm. I got home at 8pm as my doctor took one look at me, asked some questoins then sent me to my local hospital for blood tests, a chest X-Ray and a load of other tests and told me I have to take at least two more weeks off work. I just hope that my head starts to get round my knitting again as I have two more weeks to try and finish the gifts for my secret pal. I'm kind of hoping that the tremor I currently have in my hands will go away as it makes knitting really really hard!

The knitters helper!

It's hard enough knitting with 15mm needles, but Hecate loves them, she sits by me chewing on them whenever she gets a chance! I've got hardly any knitting done in the two weeks I've been off work, when you combine the concentration span of a fruitfly with the IQ of a ball bearing that I've been afflicted with even stocking stitch has been pretty much beyond me. I'm starting to recover slowly although it will be a while before my asthma settles down again from the ravages of the chest infection. I'm hoping to return to work tomorrow, but it still isn't certain.

Despite my best endeavours to behave myself I couldn't resist buying these delightful purple DPN's and the cosk yarn, they came from Knit'n'caboodle, a company who I would recommend, the service I received was first class, and I don't know anywhere else that you can get purple neeedles from! Now I have no excuse for not knitting more socks ready for the winter.
I'm still knitting away for my secret pal swap, although rather slowly and looking forward with eager anticipatoin to receiving my first package - my pal has emailed me to say it is on it's way, but it's coming from overseas so I will have to be patyient.

Blaagh!

I'd been hoping to go back into work today, but I've spent the weekend coughing and unable to lie down to sleep at all without coughing for what seems likehours. Hecate is getting heartily sick of me keeping her awake! I've been back to the Dr for yet more steroids and antibiotics and another week off work. It may sound odd but I hate being off work when I'm ill, I have so much to do and I can't even concentrate on easy knitting, I've reached the raglan shaping of this baby cardigan and the instruction 'shape to match left front' has reduced me to hopeless confustoin, I think I'll have to go back to garter stitch scarves again. I've had to stop the knitting I'm doing for my Sceret Pal too as I'm frogging more than I'm knitting.

Cough splutter

I'm sorry I've been missing in action for a week, more importantly I've been doing total inaction for a week. The chest infection I thought I was beating just before last weekend knocked me sideways. It upset my asthma and left me coughing incessantly, my asthma always makes me cough more than wheeze, but this time around I've been doing both, much to my disgust as it's been behaving itself for the last few years.

My GP signed me off work, gave me extra steroids and antibiotics and I spent most of the week drooping all over the place. Even knitting has been beyond me, the only thing I managed to do was finish this eyelash yarn scarf that I started just after last Christmas. Hecate has inspected it and given her aproval although she is giving me the impressiuon that she thinks it is well past time I went back to work and lefvt her in peace. She strongly disapproves of me keeping her awake at night while I cough.

I finally felt able to pick up the needles on Balsam today, I still have another six inches to go before shaping it but I'm not rushing at it, I've finally stopped making silly mistakes with the pattern (how's that for tempting fate?) but hurrying will be fatal. Secret Pal, I'm sorry I'm not being very communicative at the moment, I really will try and do better, I may even show you soem more interesting knitting eventually!

Bits and pieces

If there is one thing I'm not keen on it's knitting in white, but my colleague who's baby this is for specified white so white it is! I need to get this finished by next Tuesday when I will have the chance to get someone to transport it to the recipient. This is the first front so I'm hopeful that I can get the second done, the bands added and the sewing up done this weekend. After that it will need a quick wash as it has been kicking around in my back pack for a number of weeks.
I started knitting something for any of my direct colleagues who had babies when I joined my current project over 3 years ago and I swear that almost overyone who could has now had a baby to keep me busy! I'm starting to forget how to knit adult sizes of anything.

I have, of course to get more knitting done for the future great nephiece, but I'm up to my neck in something for my secret pal so that is next on my to do list. The premature baby outfits came from Sirdar Early arrivals knitting book number 280, it has sizes through to standard baby sizes as well as for premature babies. There are also loads of premature baby patterns avilable for free online, including some on a BBC linked website that I currently can't remember the URL for.

This is the last of my knitting book purchases for a while - at least, that's the plan. It arrived yesterday but so far all I've done is glance at it, photograph it and go to bed to nurse a rather nasty cold that has attacked me, I blame it on too much time spent in hospital waiting rooms last week - horribly unhealthy places they can be. Just my luck to get it while I'm waiting for a CPAP machine for my finally diagnosed chronic sleep apnoea, the added congestion of a cold is making my sleeping far worse and I'm tireder than usual.

Secret pal you were asking about the Knitting from Nature book, I've photographed a couple of the patterns I fancy making. This is a lovely cabled design that I rather like, although it may be that I'm being influenced by my love of polo necks that you can turn up to keep your ears warm!
I'm fascinated by the structure of this scarf - I've been experimenting with modular knits and I fancy trying my hand at this, it's built so that it naturally curves around your neck, I think this is definitely on my to do list.There is a modular shrug type beast in the book but it has artistically placed holes in it and I don't fancy it one little bit.
This variation on a beret I think is gorgeous, I've made a load of plain berets and absolutely have to try this, it won't be mindless knitting like my plain pattern but I'm looking forward to trying it.

This updating of an otherwise plain sweater is gorgeous, I'll be stash diving for myself for this. I'll come back and edit this post when I have the book with me to add the names of the patterns if anyone needs them to hunt on Ravelry

Progress!

This is Balsam, I've had to reknit everything I did in the hospital queues last week - I managed to make a complete hash of the pattern, but I'm back to where I was - better than nothing

I've finished the two little premature baby bosywarmers, they're fastened with velcro for simplicity, the shoulders open so if the babies have drips in they can still wear them. Each bodywarmer has a matching pair of tiny mittens to go with it.

I couldn't resist starting thi soff, it will just be 4 balls knitted in garter stitch on 15mm needles - a real change from the fine work I have been doing lately but I still have some more baby things to work on so this makes a nice contrast.

Finally, Hecate hunting a moth in the ceiling light last night, I need to replace the lightshade with one that hasn't got a fringe, she's nearly wrecked this one in her enthusiastic hunting!

Quite a week!

I've been a bad blogger recently, but that does mean I have lots to show you as in between the hospital and doctors appointments that I've filled this week off work with I've been shopping both online and at the Stitch and Creative Crafts show yesterday as well! This is sock yarn from an eBay seller, lovely colours but I'm not sure if it will end up as socks, it seems a wee bit harsh although it may well wash softer.
It didn't stop me buying two lots of it, I just can't resist purple/blue/pink combinations even though I never wear pink on it's own. I know I do have a bright pink UFO somewhere but I keep getting distracted!

I went browsing through the knitting books in my local bookshop and fell in love with this, I did resist buying it then and there, I find buying on Amazon Marketplace much more economical. I love this book - it has patterns in nice big sizes and I love many of the designs. I'm waiting for 'Cables Untangled' to arrive too - I had an email to tell me that it's on it's way!

Another sock knitting book, again from Amazon Marketplace, I really will get back to my sock knitting again soon, I must get more made before the winter as they make such a difference to the temperature of my feet. I do wonder if I'll need that as at the moment I'm 'enjoying' hot flushes on a horribly frequent basis.

As a reward at the end of my week my Mum and I went to this, we both spent more than we meant to and I can't show you everything I bought as I've been shopping for my Secret Pal, I can however show you some of my purchases! For the sake of avoiding guilt I'd like you to imagine that I don't already have enough stash to open my own yarnstore, my stash does, in fact supply a work colleague as well as myself!

Regia bamboo sock yarn, I've never knitted with this and I'd forgotten to add it to my 'yarn I want to try' question so I treated myself!


For some reason my mother chose this for me and as she paid for it I wasn't going to argue, it's nice cheerful yarn, I think it will make the sort of socks that you smile when you put them on!
Both lots of Regia and this came from Web of Wool, I could spend a fortune at their stall whenever I see them! This is Colinette Kingfisher colourway Jitterbug yarn, another sock yarn I haven't tried before.

One the left I have some yarn to knit for my future great nephew, I have a mental image of making him a little outfit in mock camouflage that came to me when I was browsing yesterday. The eyelash on the left is much more glittery and a sort of chestnut shade that I couldn't resist, it was only 50p a ball as well!

This wasn't a purchase, I found it in my mother's stash, it's chunky and she rarely uses chunky so I'll swap her some of my left overs in double knitting as she uses them for making crocheted charity blankets.

I've forgotten what this yarn is called, it was knitted up into a gorgeous stole and is knitted on 15mm needles so it should make a quick fun knit!

This is Sirdar Medici in the Leonardo colourway, it was on special offer at the Black Sheep stall, I have quit e alot of brown shades of yarn in my stash that I haven't actually used yet, but I have a hankering for brown for myself so maybe this time i'l lactually get something done!

Finally we come to more sock yarn - Fyberspates thi stime, I do love this yarn, I love the shades - although you'd have to know I'd like this one being pinks/purples!

I rarely knit blues and greens but this is lovely, it calls to mind exotic seas as seen in the best sort of travel films!
I'm back to work on Monday by which time I hope to have two premature baby outfits finished so I must get on. A quiick wave to my Secret Pal before I go!