I am in quite agonising pain.

My back has been worse this last two days than it has been during the rest of my life. This morning I could barely walk and was hobbling around. Lying down on front, back or side hurts, sitting hurts, standing hurts. I'm not at work because of the lack of movement and have been hobbling round the flat shouting "ow, fuck!" which has been surprisingly helpful although god knows what the neighbours think. I've had 3 physio appts and it def isn't any better so have an appt with a different one tomorrow to get another opinion. I don;t want the first one to be wrong as he's really nice but it doesn't hurt to be sure. Whereas it does hurt right now.

To cheer myself up I've been continuing with my crochet hexagon blanket. Crocheting puts the least pressure on any part of me. I'm about 100 down. I'm not sure how many I'll need but it did occur to me today that they will stretch so maybe I should start joining them sooner rather than later.

Apart from that I can at least be happy that my secret pal socks are done.

Very purty, Jane's pattern, Natalie's yarn and some Lornas Laces as the contrast. Love them all. I'll also been occasionally knitting away on the yarn my secret pal gave me in a pair of plain vanilla socks plus beads.

I added the beads for a little splash of something although in retrospect the yarn speaks for itself and doesn't need any addition. Once again, natalie's yarn.

Los Parentos were here at the weekend (another great piece of timing back-wise, wretched thing). I had to sit out most of the activites (or lie-out, wimpering with a hot water bottle on my back) but did make it for dinner on sat night. Dell Aziz's in Bermondsey square - thoroughly recommended for the food although the service was a bit touch and go even though they had a gazzillion waiters. The starter and main was delicious and from the set menu. The puddings had to be seen to be believed. Mater had the chocolate cake. This is your average sized piece with mater in it for scale. She is a mini-mummy but the cake was still enormous.

I can't resist finishing with this picture of a photographically dysfunctional family. Mum looks like she's heard a rude word, sian's scowling, I'm doing a muppet impression and there's Rob, (sometimes known on this blog as dad2) keeping it real. Pooch was there but was probably testing to see if there was wifi.

Secret Pal Challenge - Baby Knits

I challenged my Secret Pal group to post their favourite baby knits - and it's quite a list! There are so many ideas here and lots that I hadn't come across before which is brill! Thanks everyone for posting your favourites...and here they are:

• Grrrr, lion washcloth. Kids of all ages just love the loops! FREE
• Petal Bib
• Z's Baby Blocks FREE
• Bella Basic Yoke Dress (can't find it on Ravelry)
• Circle of Friends baby blanket
• Umbilical Cord Hat
• Baby Dress
• Curly Purly Soaker FREE (scroll to bottom of page)
• Baby Hi-Top Converse (Personally I've always loved the mary jane pattern by the same author!)
• Tailored Sweater Method to design your own baby sweater
• Lilly hat FREE
• Helena Cardigan FREE
• Phazelia's Mitred Baby Cardi (I also have this queued)
• 8 hour baby afghan
• Hat fit for a boyfriend (but with fewer stitches for a baby size) FREE
• Baby Yoda Hat FREE

Names of all those who posted their favourites were put into my very own KnowKnits sock knitting bag (a present from a former secret pal of mine)....

...and then picked one out with his hairy but beautifully formed arm....

I'd love to tell you who it was and who contributed their favourites but not until the end of the swap and everyone has found out who their spoiler was! Just rest assured I have already let her know (before making this post live) so if you haven't heard from me I'm afraid it's not you. Better luck....next time.....!

Life on the farm (picture heavy)

Pooch and I started the bank holiday on the farm. We'd been to the one at Mudchute a while ago and it was ok but a bit boring. This one was very different. It wasn't huge but you got so involved. As well as all the pens with geese and cows and donkeys and things there was also a huge enclosure where there were goats, sheep, hens, geese and more wondering about being patted and hugged by the public (and fed - you could buy the right food from the shop). The animals there were obviously very used to this and at one point a huge goat came up to me and just leant against my legs until I stroked it.

The biggest pig you ever saw. A sign on the pen said 'Beware - this pig can bite"

A huge pig enclosure where they were all rooting and snuffling and snoozing.

I did love the saddle backs. So did Pooch, although for different reasons. Pork was on sale in the shop.

Pooch said this was my pig equivalent. Eating straw while lying full length and practically asleep in the sun.

Goat climbing frame in the middle of the open area. The goats obviously loved it.

My friend the leaning goat. Rectangular pupils were very striking.

Compulsory sheep shot needed on any self-respecting knitting blog.

More photos on Flickr if you aren't bored already.


The cruel physio has forbidden knitting AND sewing machines after I hobbled into his office on Tuesday looking like this. but without the healthy glow.

So what's a girl to do but finally get on with some Bargello that she's been meaning to do for years.

A little ebaying has resulted in the necessary tools and I'm this far into a needlebook cover.

I do love it but it is rather hard on the finger tips. My middle finger and thumb are HURTING. Just not used to the abuse. But I can hold it up in front of me without it hurting my shoulders by being heavy and without it causing me to bend and hurting my back. Pooch has been sympathetic about my old woman aches and produced a mahoosive bunch of flowers.

So pretty!

Before I sign off I wanted to highlight a blog I've started reading called Tangled Crafts. I came across it when googling Bargello pics and have since bought one of her Zines. It includes a pattern for some doodle bargello and is exceptionally well made and has lots of fun things included with it. Plus it arrived inside a repurposed paper lunch bag. I end up with loads of these in my intray (some mine, some from the boys who like to pretend I collect them) so am very impressed with this bit of recycling.

Her zines are available from Etsy and Folksy - links on her website.


Lastly - view from the back window yesterday evening a la KnittheKnits with her field.

It was absolutely bucketing down at the time so decided not to rush out to find the gold.

Khaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnn!

Been having a great time on this site. I do love Star Trek. It all started with this video on YouTube. I must say it has taught me a lot. I never knew why he wanted to climb that mountain before. These are some of my favourites.

Khhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnn!

Knitting continues but am just working on same old WIPs. The big news is I finally got to meet the latest addition to the gang - 3 week old Sarah.

She is an excessively gorgeous baby and introduced me to the concept of projectile poo-ing when I was there while nappy changing took place. There was a nearly 2 year old too and she was equally amazed. Poor Mum is panicing constantly that something is going wrong but she's doing a brilliant job.

Hi! My name is Alex and I have Lumbar Discogenic Dysfunction.

After months of back pain I finally dragged myself to a physio yesterday. In a way it is reassuring to have a diagnosis because I've had this on and off for years. But at the same time this is actually fricking serious! I cracked a disc at some point and the liquid inside is bulging out and pressing on the nerve. Not sexy. The aim is to stop it getting worse because that way lies surgery. Yuk. Fortunately the physio is really nice and seems to know his stuff so the outlook is good. I came out of the first session with my back like this:

Knitting continues but I've recently become quite obsessed with Bargello Embroidery. Isn't it beautiful?

I'm planning a sampler. Anyone know which canvas you're supposed to use with anchor tapestry wool? It's surprisingly difficult to find out.

Shop shop shopping

Sian and I went to the far flung outskirts of london to visit Westfield shopping centre in Shepherd's Bush today. There was a tonne of shops (which I guess is the point of shopping centres) but also lots of good food.

Steam pork buns are my favourite of all chinese food. Mmmmm. Unfortunately I seem to have been enjoying my food a bit too much recently and am looking a little on the chunky side. I just do love the sweet stuff. Ah well. People give up crack. I guess I can cut down on chocolate.

I finally met up with Nickerjac again last weekend and got to play sandpits with the increasingly adorable Pete as well as being introduced to their two cats. I had forgotten how small kittens are. It was Pete's birthday recently and lots of fun was had at the toy shop and with presents. He is so well behaved and a joy just to watch, never mind play with. Nic also had my japanese books from when Lucy did a bulk order from amazon.jp.

One of them is a stitch dictionary so is obviously yum. One of the others is a sewing book with lovely clothes. I love this dress...

You can see it better in this one.

The other is norweigan knitting and has some lovely techniques. I love this hat and the crown.

I feel I should have a crown.

Having admired Mingled Yarn's baby towel I made good on my decision to make one for Pooch - being modelled here by sistero uno - siano.

It doesn't quite meet in the middle - they just make towels like they used to - but it does allow him to do a great jedi impression.

I also did some cooking - cherry pie! It was the recipe from the 'what to eat now' with the crazily enthusiastic Val something or other who communicates mainly through noises like "mmmmmm".

I've highlighted my own special touch - pastry cherries. Mmmmmmm.

Leaving the best til last...my parcel finally got to me from my secret pal. Hoorah!

She did say it had a theme and there is no greater theme to anything in life than red with white polka dots. There is a gorgeous Kath Cidston mug, tissues and mirror for my handbag. An awesome oven glove and insulated box just right for packed lunches with a can of pepsi max. Mmmm, pepsi max. Plus some brilliant cup cake cases and cherry green and black chocolate. Mmmmmm. And finally....saving the best til last.....some dotty yarn yarn bonny. It's so pretty and perfect for the vanilla socks I wanted to make.

Thanks Secret Pal! I love everything!

Oh my god! Look at that!

This is what my colleagues kept saying to me on monday when I slept badly and woke up with a really stiff neck. I couldn't turn it to the left at all and it was inclined at about 20 degrees off centre. So of course they thought this was a gift from above and spent all day trying to trick me into looking to my left because it either hurt me or made me turn my whole body like an old-school robot (I work with 3 guys). Three days later and I've now got about 70% movement back but I'm very achey. I went for a walk-in massage yesterday and that helped a bit although about 30 seconds in she (the masseur) paused and said "I don't think 10 minutes is going to be enough for you". I hear you, sister.

This week was potentially going to be quite stressful:

• work
• time of the month
• starting new meds (changing anti-d)
• sian moving in

Instead of the above the main stress has turned out to be my neck - so it just goes to show there's no point worrying as however bad you think something might be it will be something else that ends up biting you in the arse. The changing meds in particular has gone very well although I'm only three days in but I had a week's break from the other one first and haven't had any side-effects so I'm counting myself as lucky. It's never gone this smoothly in the past.

Of course there has been the occasional ray of sunshine. This is where one of the baby blankets has ended up.

Laura and Blanket. It's a strange name for a child but there you go. Laura is looking great and the baby look like an absolute honey. I was hoping to go and visit them this weekend but the Pooch has deadlines coming out of his hedgehog ears and so will be working for the whole thing. I thought to cheer him up I might make him one of these, which Mingled Yarn has made for her loved one. Just need to find a towel large enough.

On a warm day in August.

As a Secret Pal hostess I try and check the blogs of my group once a week, usually at the weekend. One of them has posted this photo....THIS IS WHERE I WANT TO LIVE.

Polka dot house. How cool?

Something else I've found - a knitting survey from a real research project. Takes about 10 mins to do.

Meanwhile, boy! Can I knit stocking stitch!

It's yet another baby blanket. It started out with butterflies on but they were rubbish so now it is stocking stitch with a leaf border. And to go with it I'm doing a leaf motif cardi and hat in green - they don't know yet whether the baby is a boy or a girl. Knit on.

I think that's about it - my sister sian has moved in with us temporarily. We shoe horned all her stuff into the spare room yesterday although she has just discovered she's taken her good clothes down to my mum's and only got the second tier stuff with her. I can't help suspecting that it's an excuse to shop.

Achievement Badges

I came across these amazing socks on ravelry and that lead me to the designer's blog where I found these knitting scout badges. Awesome. So then they led me to these science scout badges. Double awesome. I suddenly feel like I've really achieved something today.

I claim I am worthy of the following badges....

The Proselytize Knitting Badge

For bigging up the knit at every possible opportunity. I will be trying to teach my sister AGAIN this weekend despite her repeatedly threatening me with violence if I bring it up again. (There were two sisters at SkipNorth last year who knitted and made each other jumpers and stuff. How cool would that be?)

The McGyver Badge - Level 1

For repeatedly using a 2.5mm to reset the wireless thingy. Plus giving Pooch a limited edition 9mm to fish his wedding ring out from behind the china thing surrounding the foot of the bathroom sink.

The Host a Knitting Podcast Badge

A la la.

The I Can Be an Asshole When It Comes To Knitting Badge

What do you mean 'can we talk about something else'?

The Knitting While Under the Influence Badge

Enough said.

The I Will Impress You With My Math Prowess Badge

Physics degree - has to be good for something.

The I Will Crush You With My Math Prowess Badge

Physics, people. Physics!

The I've Knit Items With No Conceivable Practical Application Badge

I did ponder claiming this one. And then I remembered this.

The Knitting Got Me Through My Divorce Badge

There was a little something last year that we Do Not Talk About, but which saw me making my 'That which does not kill us surely makes us stronger' Mittens.

The Arts and Crafts Badge

I is crafty.

The “my degree inadvertantly makes me competent in fixing household appliances” badge

I know what the different coloured wires in the plug mean! Plus I am better than the average at unjamming a photocopier. I think this may just be a woman thing though.

The “I’ve done science with no conceivable practical application” badge

In my final year project I made a ruby laser. It was rubbish. It flashed once and then essentially blew up in an unimpressive way.

The “I know what a tadpole is” badge

Which just goes to show I can do biology as well as Physics.