All part of life's rich tapestry ...

Life can sometimes be a bit like a disaster movie.
Today Allan came home covered in spots ! He has chicken pox ! He,sadly,avoided it as a child [ as did I.Eek!] and it's supposed to be worse as an adult.No fun when you're 43.Being male he is SUFF-ER-ING [sorry Thomas,Larry,Jerry and David.Sometimes the truth is unpalatable !].
Yesterday was truly dreadful,but I'll write about that at the end of this post,so that animal lovers of a sensitive disposition can avoid the terrible tale.

Knitting : Sewing in the ends and finishing the neck and armholes of my Linen Drape top[did I tell you it's enormous ?] is taking forever.I'm getting fed up with it,not least because there are things that I'm desperate to start.

Here's the neck treatment I decided on.Stocking stitch on small needles,allowed to curl over.It looks nice on.
Although I want to knit more Tumbling Blocks cushion covers I'm having a break from intarsia.I've started a new ''when I've got a minute'' project to be kept in the bedroom.It's coming along very quickly.

It's a sleeveless sweater for Oliver [I can't say ''tank top'' as it brings horrific memories of ghastly 70s clothing flooding back].It's knitted in Felted Tweed,in Herb,the new pale green .The pattern is Billie from Rowan's Pipsqueaks.It's written for Wool Cotton,but Felted Tweed on 4mm needles is fine,and it'll only take 3 balls.I'm really enjoying knitting it,not least because it's a fast knit.
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Don't click on ''more'' unless feeling robust.

The people next door [a.k.a. the household from hell] have three children under four and three dogs.Dogs which they rarely take out for a walk,despite the beach being less than a five minute walk from here,never wash or brush and only clean up after every 2 -3 days [yuk!].We reluctantly agreed to a 5 1/2 foot fence between us so they could make a dog run.A very smelly dog run,that everyone comments on.
The dogs are alwys trying to escape,when not barking and howling.
One of the dogs,a large male Collie [don't they need masses of exercise] has escaped a few times.Ripped out most of it's front claws digging the gate into a pile of firewood.It had started jumping the fence,then over our gate into the street.
Being a couple short on gumtion they tethered it with a 12 foot nylon rope.You can see where this is going,can't you ?Yesterday I was getting Oliver,who is disabled with cerebral palsy,ready for afternoon nursery.I heard barking and scratching.Looked out and saw large male dog hanging by collar attatched to taut rope,just touching the ground with it's back paws.My mind went into fast & analytical mode [adrenalin is amazing].I couldn't cut the rope as I don't have a machete to hand and there was only about 1 foot of rope that I could reach above the dog,and it was snarling and would most certainly have bitten me.I couldn't lift it & put over the fence as it was too big,and would have bitten me.I couldn't leave Oliver alone in the house & couldn't take him out as I didn't want him to see.
I rang the RSPCA.They said they were sending someone right round [who arrived 30 minutes later !].I then found the neighbours work number.Told him the situation.He started yelling at me.Told me to ''leave the child'' and cut his dog down.Then to go get a neighbour - the only one around was our elderly gentleman next door neighbour,who is 71.Then he started yelling about how I would be responsible for his dog strangling itself [???!!!].I told him I'd check on the dog and we'd talk about it later [how restrained am I ?],before putting the phone down.
Of course the dog was dead by then.
The neighour's wife came home,with children .I risked leaving Oliver for 5 minutes [he's such a good,calm boy],to tell her what had happened and keep her and the children from discovering the dog.RSPCA man arrived at this point and shouted at me for not cutting the dog down ! I pointed out the difficulties and that my priority was Oliver,followed by my safety.I went in then.Feeling wrung out and shaky.Calmed down for Oliver and got Allan ,who wasn't feeling too good by then[no spots at that point] to come home.
Dreadful experience which left a nasty taste in the mouth.
Allan will have to,in a few days,talk to the neighbour about the abusive way he talked to[well yelled at]me on the phone.
Bloody awful.
Poor dog.

For the Sissel fan club !

This is the finished sleeve.
And here is the back.Sissel likes things to be as neat on the back as on the front.Quite right too ! She dealt with the ends as she finished each block of tiles.

This is going to be a stunning cardigan.

I've finished the bulk of the knitting on my Linen Drape top.I did actually finish it last night.Bound off the shoulders and tried it on.Miles too big.O.K.,maybe not that bad.I've shortened the shoulder straps and am hoping that firm treatment of the neck and armhole edges will rectify the overly floppy look.That and a trip through a 40 C wash ! Maybe I should try 30 C first,as per ball band !