Tired and insomniacal !

This is all the knitting I have for you ! Not a lot of neck down raglan silk top.
The girls at last week's knit & chat [always a pleasure] may notice that this appears to have shrunk ! It is in it's second incarnation. Having got home,had a critical look at it,I decided to measure. Always a good idea when you knit freestyle. I ripped out the almost 100gms I'd knitted,to fit a very butch weightlifter's neck,and cast on a lot fewer stitches !
I decided to change the increases from stitches made by picking up the bar between stitches the row below to left and right twisted loop increases. You might be able to see them below,either side of one of the raglan ''seams'',that aren't,if you see what I mean. At least you'll be able to admire the lustre of the silk !

I'm really enjoying knitting this - not that I have done much knitting. The sheen increases the more I handle the silk. I have a theory : I have quite acidic skin. Always pick up ink from magazine covers,at the slightest touch. Silk,like skin,is slightly acidic and is,in fact,destroyed by alkaline solutions e.g. most washing products. I think handling it is beneficial. That's the excuse I'm sticking to !

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I need to apologise to all my friends for the lack of e-mails. It's always the ones I have the most to say to who don't hear from me when I'm strapped for time ! I have written,in my mind,in the middle of the night,countless long and witty e-mails and posts. Just know,dear Sissel,Kay,Tracy,Kristen,Sue,Karen,Suzy,Julia,Theresa...and an embarrassingly long list, that you are in my thoughts.
Sorry !

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I have been more than a little preoccupied with taking care of the chick. Unless you have a disabled child I think it is hard to appreciate the extra work involved. I can't leave Oliver to get on with things,except watching television or videos,which I don't like him to do to excess ! He needs help to hold a book,play with toys,draw etc. It's hard to do things one handed when your general mobility is restricted. A centimetre out of range is as far away as across the room.
My arms,shoulders,wrists and hands are starting to scream ! At school Oliver is ''transferred'',lifting being banned [!],by two people.
Our mornings are spent lolling about on our super kingsize bed,reading,chatting and watching t.v. I like to do this as it means he can stretch out,wiggle and roll about etc.,without being strapped into a seat. It also means that I am continuously lifting him to sit him up or change his position. Then I carry him downstairs [I'll write about stair lifts next time],put him into his standing frame for 45 mins - 1 hour,then sit him in his Jenx chair,then to the settee for a stretch and a slob,then the wheelchair,etc. I have quite impressive biceps !
We do go out too ! Last week left us both wrecked after two days of wheelchair training. It was fantastic ! Oliver got to meet other wheelchair using children. Not something that happens often,being in mainstream school. The first day was for manual wheelchairs. Although he'll never pop a wheelie by himself [you need two functional hands and arms] he got the experience. We tried out some better designed,lighter wheelchairs and we played basketball and bulldog. Very hazardous for me,being the only one not in a wheelchair [the course leader and other parents & siblings were also in wheelchairs,I had to steer Oliver !]. My poor toes and legs !
The next day was for electric wheelchairs. We borrowed one from Whizzkids. As the only one who turned up [!!!] Oliver got some great,intensive coaching. Now we just need an electric wheelchair. Poor chick was very fed-up that the borrowed one had to be returned. All that independance and freedom of choice snatched away from him. So sad.

Next time I'm going to talk about wheelchairs,equipment,funding and fund raising. The things that stop me sleeping at night. In the meantime does anyone fancy coming over to play with my child,to give him a break from me ? !

The perfect demo...

...of adding beads to knitting with a crochet hook : Here.
Thanks Deb.