Different Problems

Thanks for all the messages, my ghosts have left me to get on with things for a while, I can usually cope when they visit individually but en-masse is too much !!

I've been busy. I went down to a small village the other side of Cardiff and learnt to spin properly with Ruth from Winghams as a most wonderful tutor. She taught us how to spin fine (and consistent) and thick and ply them together. I can now rescue my badly plied and make then usable yarn (hooray!!)

Then I went down to Ally Pally for a couple of days as a person not working on a stall (even though I did hang out at Knitwitches and Touch Yarns). I was a bit confused but the 'new bridge' I saw in the sky when I drove in along Hanger Lane (we were going slowly, I could read the signs, otherwise I would have just been in London !!) On the way home on Friday night I realised that there were signs for Wembley (we were going even slower) and what I thought was a bridge was in fact the new stadium roof (doh!!).
My journey home was not a good one, I thought it would be a good plan to wait until the local traffic had died down and then get to North Circular and then M4 letting all the traffic go in front of me... Got to M4 without much problem, it was slow but moving... then the trouble started it took me about 2 hours to go 35 miles. Reading services was gridlocked, as was the motorway. I sat and ate M&S food in my car, tried to knit (deep wine coloured yarn in the dark not good idea). 1.5 hours later I left the services, took a while to catch up with the traffic. Saw someone being stopped for hogging the middle lane (I loved those police, they made me very happy!!) and eventually got home at 2am over 7 hours after I left London...
I slept for two days ...


we had a problem yesterday.
I picked up Chivi to say hello to nextdoor over the back fence - we both looked down, saw a hole and missing fur/skin. We had a family outing to the vets.
Goodness knows how he did it, but an inch long deep hole inside his back leg. They made his sleep, stitched him up, woke him up and sent him home.
We have to go back on Wednesday. I haven't looked at the damage properly, but from what I could see while he was backing round the living room trying to get out of the collar (it would have been funny if he hadn't have been panting so much) it doesn't look nice...
So the sickly boy is sickly again, more tablets and got to be kept in (he really doesn't like that bit) His brother is confused that the cat flap just opens inwards and he has to ask to go out... He is not bothered too much at the moment he is asleep on the top of a sofa..

Whilst at the vets I was knitting this - it is a sort of February Sweater (Why is it called a sweater when it is a cardi - I'm confused...)

I lost the instructions for the lace so found another pattern to use - I've nearly finished the body, if I get the chance I might get onto the sleeves later...

I'm known for knitting whilst waiting for Chivi they even ask me what I'm making ;-)




And I cast something else on recently.
Yes - the return of the Wedding Ring Shawl !!

I wont bore you with many photos of this as it is growing, but this is the first half of the first pattern repeat, with stitch counter for scale...

I'm enjoying it and hopefully I can manage to get the central panel completed this year - there are 350 rows of pattern and 6 of garter stitch...


now I really must try and get myself organised for going down to Devon later. If you are near to Bovey Tracey do come and say hello tomorrow afternoon - there will be lots going on, knitting, spinning, crochet and shopping opportunities, and Jane Sowerby with some of her shawls..

Reasons not to knit

At Woolfest I bought a bag of "City Lights", here is the first bit spun up and plied with some Jacob that was waiting to be used.

There is 100g here, and as I've managed to spin a near DK weight there 'should' be enough to make a jumper ....



And there is a sheep that is touring the countryside wanting to show off British fleeces..

At the top - Leicester Longwool,

At the bottom Dark Masham, this was in a kit I got when I was a teenage to learn how to spin with a drop spindle - it was unwashed and no instructions to wash or card - no wonder I didn't get it then...




This is a view of the river from a couple of weeks ago - a lovely summer's day as you can see.... it was raining, it had been raining a lot in Wales...

Yesterday when I ventured out the level was down, and no where as high as it was this time last year, thank goodness...




And look at the boy - half a thyroid and four teeth lighter... he was not a good patient for the first few days, bandages didn't want to stay on (I had to tie something round his neck to keep the remains of the original in place). Then he decided in the middle of the night that he didn't want to go downstairs to the litter tray, so the bath hole was were he poo'd...

Since he has been allowed out again he is behaving better, hopefully he will not lick the scars too much and the stitches will be ok when they come out in just over a week...

And now I'm going to see if I can actually knit something, I seem to be froging more than knitting these days...

Dear Liza...

I know you are more used to dealing with buckets, but this is a bit more serious...
You know I had a new oil tank installed the back end of last year, well it appears to be leaking... It was just a slight seep and now after the man has looked it became a big drip (nearly two pints collected in just over a day!!)

So now I'm waiting for a new tank, at least he has managed to stop the big drips and the container is filling up much slower..... but there oil everywhere apart from in the tank where it is meant to be !!!


Thanks for all you messages about the boy.

He is healing well - we did have a slight mishap when visiting nextdoor, he had a good scratch and took off the scab and then rubbed his head on the arm of the sofa, the bottom of the sofa and neighbour's top... She was ok about it luckily, after all she does think he is her cat !!




Part of the reason why I have been quiet for a while is I was up in Manchester visiting friends but enjoying some proper music.

Some of it was better than others .

Shawadywady were a good opening act and The Osmond Brothers closed the show.

Of the two David's I think Mr Cassidy past me by - I only knew two of his songs and he does talk a lot...

The other David I could have listened to for years !!!

And this was the sky in Manchester on the Saturday morning - grey, just as I remember it when I worked there in a past life.



And this was the sky this Saturday.

The telephone pole opposite.

I had that usual problem on Saturday night, the smell form the chip van calling me - but I was strong, Shona and Isabella would have been proud of me - I ended up having cottage cheese instead !! Only a stone to go (for the second time) but I am more determined now...

And what else have I been doing, apart from dealing with everyday life and the problems it throws me.... in the last week nearly 80 hours of study (or that's how long I should have spent reading books) I should be writing an essay on mortality and morbidity in the UK at the moment but concentration is non existent - I'd rather be out playing in the garden....


Oh and I have been knitting, but that deserves it's own post ;-)

Just heard from tank man, there have been problems with the tanks and it should have been recalled - but as always why inform the customer !!!