So in conclusion

I have come to a conclusion about several things I've been thinking about recently. Here is one.

Byrne on Infidelity

Once someone in a relationship has cheated, that relationship is over. If both parties are willing to try, and the cheater is really lucky, they can build a new relationship. But if nothing changes after the cheating it's like being diagnosed with a major disease and not seeking treatment. That relationship is inevitably going to die.

One of the both good and bad sides of being on sick leave is that you get a lot of time alone. This can be good for thinking but it can also be bad in the same way. I feel like I've had a good chance to think things through but at the same time I know my limited communication skills have got worse. I suppose this is because I've had the majority of my conversations with myself and as my sister recently said "It's ok for you, you don't care about that kind of thing." and so I've got clumsy when chatting to people about potentially sensitive topics. Plus I'm doing a lot more of that what's-the-word type of thing when talking to others. I guess my internal monologues must have only been using simplistic words.

A-n-y-w-a-y...my other conclusion concerns crushes. But I haven't thought of a concise way to explain it. And maybe I won;t since I am rapidly getting back to proper hours at the workplace of doom. I'll do 4.5 hours on 4 days next week which will include sending out exam results to 120+ people and receiving at least 20 loads of abuse and, if I'm lucky, one brief email of thanks. There's no denying working does use up way too much of my time. I don;t know how I'm going to be able to keep up my knitting output having to work all these hours. How much longer, I keep asking him, is Pooch going to take to get to a point where I can sit about at home and knit all day? Respect to feminism but let's not forget a woman's right to choose and I'm happy to choose to sit and knit full time while someone else earns my chocolate money.

Knitting output is already down as since I finished the Kauni I've only found time to make a pair of socks (xmas present so not blogged), a pair of D(uc)K Feet, a hat and finalise the design and start my Mum's cardi. The hat is something of a dilemma. Here it is.

It's nice and everything, but I'm not sure it's suitable. You see, I got my Chief Exec in the secret santa swap. It's only a £5 one so no one's expecting gold but I'm not really sure it's him. The blue is noro iroha and the variegated is a 50/50 wool mix. The pattern is a free Brooklyn Tweed one I found on ravelry as being specifically 'for men'.

Something I'm happier about is Mum's cardi. It's already been through at least 2 abortive starts and this time I've stuck with the DROPS pattern but changed to just the one purple and added beads instead.

I'm using the crochet bead method where you don't string them onto the yarn but add them to each stitch as you go. It's much more time consuming but looks a tonne better. Unfortunately I seem to have sustained a knitting related shoulder injury which is slowing progress but meh, what can you do. I must knit on.

D(uc)K Feet

Duck feet booties in DK yarn. Holla.

Yarn: 40g DK yellow. I used Patons Fairytale but anything would do.
Tension: 5 st to 1 inch in stockinette
Needle: 3.75mm circ/dpns or whatever you need to get guage.
Also need: 1 stitch marker.

I did these as magic loop but you could do 2 circs or dpns. If using dpns then will be easier to use 5 rather than 4.

• Cast on 32st using your favourite stretchy cast on. Join to work in round and place marker to show beginning of round.
• Knit 18 rows in 2x2 rib

Now we're going to do a short row heel over the first 16 stitches. You can change this to a different heel if you want and just pick up the instructions later on. A tutorial on a short row heel can be found here.

• Knit to 2nd to last st, wrap and turn
• Purl back to 2nd to last st, wrap and turn
• K to stitch before last wrapped st, wrap and turn
• P to stitch before last wrapped st, wrap and turn
• Continue til 6 stitches wrapped on each side

You'll just have done your last wrap and turn on the purl side. You'll next be doing a knit row starting in the middle of the heel.

• Knit across and knit the wraps and stitches together a la the tutorial.
• Knit across the other 16 stitches
• Knit across the first half of the heel - knitting the stitches and wraps together - then knit across other side of heel.
• Place marker. This is your new beginning of the round.

So for magic loop I've now got two batches of sticthes - 16 stitches each. The first is the top of the foot and the second is the bottom. If you're using dpns you may need to do some shuffling at this point.

• Knit 12 rounds in stockinette (knitting every row) This will give you a foot length of about 2 inches.
• Increase round: *k1, make 1, k14, make 1, k1* twice (This is the only increase)
• Continue over the 36 stitches you now have in stockinette until the foot measures 4 inches.

Now you need to close the 'toe' of your bootie. I turned the sock inside out and used a three needle bind off. You could also graft or crochet it closed.
Sew in ends and repeat for the other bootie.
They fit a Kermit's feet very well.