And now for some Dihydrocodeine Tartrate!

Going to the doctors yesterday was the single most painful journey I've ever undertaken in my life. Getting to the bus stop was bad enough. How the hell do disabled people manage in london? The bus was a nightmare. Must look into what I can do to support modification of transport once the pain dies down.

I suspect yesterday is what has caused the pain to be worse than ever today. Pooch and I had a bust up this morning because the doc had prescribed 30mg of the pills (one pill) and it didn't do anything. So I looked it up online and saw the max dose was 150mg and so took another one. Pooch doesn't think I ought to take more than was prescribed and he's obviously right, but if the pain is worse than when is was prescribed and it is safe then I think it's justified. He's also worried I'll get addicted to painkillers but at this point if it stopped the pain I'd drink bleach so it's not a major consideration. Even with two pills it's still agonising.

Fortunately though I am able to stay positive because I've finished my Titan Hat. This hat is the business.

That's me doing my evil-underwater-ruler pose. The back bit isn't standing up as much as I'd hoped. I'm pondering interfacing or possibly wire.

Top is good too. Am wearing it now. So it can be used other than in Stingray situations. Which is good.

Another reason to stay positive is the arrival of Kerplunk in the byrne/whittaker residence. Pooch asked me what the balls were for.

His childhood recollection seems to have not involved balls - just pulling the straws out and whoever pulled out the last one won. It's a rather zen version of the game but I suppose feasible as long as no one knows how many sticks there are.

Wanna hat

I think I may be entering a hat phase. Or maybe I've just been watching too much Stingray. I recently discovered that as part of my lovefilm subscription I can watch loads of stuff free online. So 22 episodes of Stingray later I want Titan's hat.

I'm thinking - knit flat in garter stitch and do mitre type decreases over the top of the head and then shape the edges and decrease the sides before casting off and then folding the cast off to form the back spine of the hat. Would mean cast on went round face. See what I mean? Maybe not. Not sure how would get it to stay on though. Maybe sellotape.

Finding it quite hard to stay positive at the moment. Sleeping is not going well and the pain in the mornings is just indescribable. Back to doc tomorrow to ask for stronger painkillers. Phoned NHS Direct for advice this morning but was told it would be 5 hours befor they could call me back. And this is before budget cuts. I know it's been said a lot before but why spend billions on private businesses who have got themselves into trouble and then cut public services to pay for it? I don't even think it is Labour particularly - this would have happened under the Tories too. End of this public service broadcast.

Been 5 days now since I left the flat

Meh. Leg is still bad. Sleep really hard as can't get comfy. Tired. Meh.

Positive mental attitude - that is the only way forward. My mug helps.

It's still a week til the specialist so must really on happy thoughts til then. God bless anti-d's.

The enforced sitting still has upped knitting output but that's putting a strain on my shoulders so I may have to ease off. But having said that Mum's cardi is progressing nicely.

The final purple is very subtle - probably too near the grey really, but I like it and I know she will so I'm going with it.

Much praise to the Pooch - he's only been grumpy once in the last 24 hours despite looking after me so much and having to do all the chores. He stood in front of his wardrobe full of clothes and declared he had nothing to wear. Bless him. He was very excited this morning because he told me he'd caught one of the enormous silverfish he claims live in the bathroom. Once I'd got upright, knocked back the painkillers and had a bit of a cry about how much it hurt, I staggered to the bathroom for the official unveiling. He lifted up the glass and....there was nothing there. He swears they're enormous and that they eat wool, but I don't know. Maybe the pressure is getting to him.

Roo-ting Tooting Secret Pal

A second parcel from the wonderful Roo.

There's three balls of dale of norway baby ull for the twist collective pattern, postwar mittens. And she's also sent me the pattern. Hoorah! Then there is the most menacing looking dark green posh sock yarn which really wants to be something terribly gothic. A large bag of mixed buttons, not 1, not 2 but 3 60's Stitchcraft magazines AND a big bar of chocolate, which has now gone to a better place. It's good timing because yesterday I just finished the socks with the first sock yarn she sent me.

It's a picture I came to regret. I had very carefully lifted my right lef up to take it, and on lifting it down added a new pain to me repetoire. As well as the numb foot, aching calf and painful hamstring, I now have a jabbing pain behind the knee. Life just doesn't get any more interesting than this.

Pooch has been very good about helping me hobble about. The flat was tidyish above waist height but below that it was looking pretty messy. I just can't bend down to reach the floor. So this morning I sat on the edge of the bed and pointed at stuff and told him where it should go. Was suprisingly effective and so in 10 mins it was all looking tonnes better.

In another burst of startitus I began the fairisle cardi I promised Mum. I've got this far...

...but I just don't like it. The top down thing isn't working. The pattern is nice but I don;t think it's working properly with the colours and because of the steek I can't try it on to see how it is looking. So I'm ripping and am going to go bottom up using this drops pattern. Using my DK the guage is about perfect and it will be so much easier to follow a pattern. Lazy, but easier. I've also started another pair of socks in a slip stitch pattern and a ripple cardi, although I'm having doubts about that too. I'm just so frustrated at my lack of movement that I'm getting impatient with other things as well. Mind you, in the last couple of weeks I've finished several pairs of socks, made a scarf, a ballaclava and a shawl and started and frogged several other things so I've certainly been getting enough knitting done. I suppose it is the one upside to so much enforced sitting about.

To finish on a positive...My secret pal has just received her final parcel so I'm about to send my 'reveal' email. She is An Odd Assortment - a crafty australian - and her blog is definitely worth a read. She's a brilliant photographer as well as baking and knitting and goodness knows what else. It's been a pleasure to spoil her!

Knit Yourself Thin

Why hasn't anyone written a book with this title? Even if that was the title and the subtitle was "(not)" that would be fine. It would still give us hope. Why is it that knitting doesn't make you thin. Imagine how skeletal we'd all be if it did.

I was thinking about this while I looked amongst my (possibly) several hundred knitting books for the one book I needed for a fairisle chart. I've had this book close at hand for about a year and have been planning this project all that time. Last night I cast on the collar and did the nexk shaping for my first ever steeked cardigan. I reached out for the book and....it's not there. I can't find it. WTF? Where is this fricking book? It's been in exactly the same place forever and now it's not there.

Possible explanations:
1. Pooch has moved it. Unlikely. It was in the bookcase and he only tends to move things that are on 'his' chair.
2. Cleaner has stolen it. Unlikely. It's an old book, not rare, quite specialist and she's never shown any sign of this before.
3. The aliens who arrive nightly to make my sciatica/back/neck worse took it. Unlikely. Their activities have surely been concentrated in my bedroom while I sleep and on the mothership. Doubt they'd do into the front room unless the driver wanted to relax while the others got to it.
4. I've moved it. Highly likely. The codeine has made me really wacked out and I am forgetting all sorts of things. But where would I have put it? I've looked everywhere I'd normally put a knitting book. I admit that is practically everywhere though but really I have looked (and have twice had to remind myself what I was looking for) and I can't find it.

Bugger.

Before I go any further I must say that Secret Pal Roo has sent me an amazing second parcel. I will post photos tomorrow, as long as I can remember where I've put the camera.

In the meantime here are some photos of my latest FO which I took before I lost it. (The camera, not the shawl.) It is the Trinity Shawlette which is a P/Hop pattern. Great pattern.

I wanted something where I could wear the point at the front and wrap the ends around. It's a bit too triangular for that but still work pretty well. Love the yarn too - Araucania that I got at the Ravelry Day in the summer. Or was it spring. Meh.

This is actually my first lace shawl. I've done a scarf and some lace as parts of other things but never something all lace like this. I loved the blocking. You can see the kids floor mat thing son the table in the back of that photo. Genius whoever first thought of using those. I love the way blocking makes the edges pointy too.

Pointy!

I went back to the doctor this morning and got some more painkillers. She's advised working from home as much as possible to avoid the stress of the tube. It's not so much the tube itself as the getting to and from the station and getting between platforms. You really appreciate how rubbish disabled access is on the Tube when something like this happens. The Jubillee line is pretty good but the rest are just dire.

Yay for Pooch! (and a give away)

Look what he sent me at work today!

He's in america so this was a complete surprise. What a sweetie.

Since Pooch left there has been mucho knitting and I made a whole ballaclava over the weekend.

It's not my usual style but my colleague loves it and immediately started doing IRA impressions. He works in membership and thought it could help with collecting subs. It also gave me a chance to use my denise crochet hooks. Very neat for picking up stitches.

To finish - does anyone want this?

It is the Buttercup top in DK cotton in poppy red. It's not badly made, though I say so myself, but I have done my usual trick of making it too big. I'd say it is a UK 16 and I'm happy to post it anywhere in the UK for free on the understanding that you pay it forward.

A last bite at summer

There was an unexpected last peak of summer today. I took this from the dock, looking across towards Canary Wharf.

Walking is still not great although I am getting around in my hercule-poirot style-baby-steps-type-way. The trouble is I still can't feel my right foot so I can't, for instance, stand on tip toe on that side or push off with my toe as you normally would when walking. The earliest appt I can get with the consultant is 7th Oct but I really hope it wears off by then. Mind you, it's been a week already and there's been no real change. My hamstring is quite painful but I don;t have to take any painkillers anymore so really I'm not doing badly at all.

Meanwhile the Bobbly Dongly Testicle Scarf is done. It's based on the one I saw at IKnit and is frankly brilliant. Short length of 'normal' scarf with i-cord and stuffed bobble on the end. It was difficult to take a pic of it on me so I used the Pooch as a model.

Isn't he beautiful? Then he agreed to illustrate the more personal element of the scarf.

Enough said.

Back Update

Good news: Leg still numb but no longer need the codeine so things are looking up overall.

Bad news: Physio referred me to a consultant spinal surgeon for an MRI scan 'just in case' it is something worse than they thought because the numbness should have worn off by now.

He did some acupuncture on me this morning and hasn't made any difference but was quite relaxing. But he did teach me how to walk without limping (as that is bad for my back, naturally, isn't everything?) and so now I'm mincing and walking even more slowly than I was with the limp. Very small steps since I can't feel most of my right foot so can't push off with it. Looks ridiculous.

Anyway, all this hasn't stopped the knitting and I now have the blanket, hat and cardi for my SIL's baby-to-be which is expected next month. My elaborate blanket designs boiled down to a rectangle of st st with a ripple edging.

Quite pretty though. And the hat...

I've also been working on the most amazing scarf which just makes me laugh each time I pick it up. A few more nights knitting and it should be done. Plus my dotty socks using the yarn my SP gave me are coming along nicely and am just decreasing the gusstes on the second one. Hoorah!

Just to round off I came into work on Tuesday and found 3 and a 1/2 balls of this on my desk.

A colleague found it while having a clear out so I'm going to make him a helmet liner since he apparently wants one.

Ooooh yes, someone asked about the Debbie New book. Seriously amazing book - well worth the high cost! I think IKnit do it too and the KCG but can't find the links right now.

In Codeine we trust

My back was better - loads better. I hobbled into the physio on tuesday and bounced out again, leaping about like a spring lamb. The at IKnit yesterday I happened to cuddle a baby and on giving it back to its mater something went boink and then continued to get worse and worse and worse and ... you get the picture. It climaxed about 11pm with me crying uncontrollably and writhing with pain on the bed. No position made it better. My right foot had pins and needles and the muscles in the rest of my leg were hyperventilating or whatever muscles do. The out of hours doctor faxed a prescription for codeine to tesco but they didn't open til 8 this morning. Fortunately after a few hours it had eased a bit and I fell asleep - but with the most awful dreams. Now, the painkillers have done the trick but I can see the muscles in my right calf pulse which is rather too much like a horror film to be comfortable.

The worst thing - worse than the pain - is that I've had to miss the second day of Iknit all together - including the workshops I'd paid about £50 to go to by Alice Starmore and Debbie New. The word we are looking for here is "bollocks".

The only thing cheering me up is that I did get to the Debbie New talk yesterday and have a good go at the market so I'm not empty handed. The talk was *brilliant*. Engrossing, fascinating, insightful, intriguing, inspiring and loads of other adjectives. Plus we got to look and feel the objects in her book.

The sunflower coat:

The swirl baby sweater - I love this.

This is genius. Cast on the neck and work down using miters. She used extra ones around the nexk to round it out.

Just beautiful - colour, pattern, shape, all perfect.

Beautiful oroubus.

I didn't take many pics of the market as I assumed I'd be back today but here's what I did snap. Beautiful diplay of natural dyeing from the vauxhall city farm.

I absolutely loved this scarf with the bobbled tassles.

The fluffiest alpaca ear muffs you ever saw. So tempted....

And then there was what I bought. Again - I managed to score some very nice things, and just as well since I thought I'd have another go today. First up, P/Hop patterns.

Organic natural dyed wool from Norwool.

Pattern books and an actual book from the Oxfam book shop round the corner.

Vintage polka dot buttons. (Red and white polka dot? They had to come home with me.)

And the good stuff - all dyed by our very own Liz and from the Woolly Workshop stand. This was where I made most of my purchases. The top two are for my Secret Pal.

Plus some beautiful sock from a new entrant to the yarn market. Sparkleduck.

And i did try to resist, but Gill was just too tempting.

Then there were Herdy xmas cards and Wibbo stitchmarkers.

Beautiful brooches (blue one for my Secret Pal) and felt buttons.

I couldn't resist the brooch with the dangly bits once I'd picked it up. This is why. Made me laugh.

And the piece de resistance.....

This last one is from Tilly Flop. I hadn't seen her things before but they are rather lovely.

Thought IKnit Weekender, the half day I managed, was brill and much kudos to Gerard and all. Just wish I could have been there for more of it. Meanwhile, let's just keep those painkillers coming.

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.