3 Years !

Crikey ! This blog was three years old on November the 3rd. I've really enjoyed pretty much every minute,and most encounters,cyber and real,that blogging has instigated. There are always some obnoxious people who try to spread their poison,but they're so easily forgotten. The interesting,caring,generous and creative people I've met have greatly enhanced my life.

Thanks and love to you all. xxx

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This is startlingly accurate !

Your Birthdate: January 19

You are resilient, and no doubt your resilience has already been tested. You've had some difficult experiences in your life, but you are wise from them. Having had to grow up quickly, you tend to discount the advice of others. You tend to be a loner, having learned that the only person you can depend on is yourself. Your strength: Well developed stability and confidence Your weakness: Suspicion of others Your power color: Eggplant Your power symbol: Spade Your power month: October

First the knitting.

The first pair of mittens for Sandy's Warm Hands knitalong are finished.

[clickable]

Despite the image these are the same size. They're knitted from PT2 by Rauma,from a large yarn swap with Sissel,a nice Norwegian wool that's very similar to Shetland jumper weight. Knitted on 2.5mm needles,for a denser fabric.
They've been worn to school and back in the cold,wet and very windy weather that's suddenly arrived. During a strop they have been yanked off using one's remaining teeth [!],chucked on the ground and driven over in one's wheelchair ! Luckily he missed the puddle. Something to do with not wanting to go home and spend time with boring old mother. Sigh.
Despite all that he says he likes them,and that he loves me,so that's o.k.
I shall be making a thicker pair from some nice Irish tweed aran [thanks Mary],in blue and red,for when things get colder,as they most certainly will. Then I think I shall buck all local fashion trends [that'll make a change. Snort !] and knit myself some fancy two colour mittens.

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Currently winging their way to their new European home.

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The Dresser Sock from the Sping 2003 issue of Interweave Knits.
I finished the 11 repeats for the leg section [lace peaks = top of sock],then noticed a small bump in the 3rd peak. Yank the knitting about to even the stitches...unsecured stitch...unravelling... I am currently re-knitting the 11 repeats. It's a nice,easy pattern though. I'm sure I'd get it finished quickly if I wasn't knitting two other socks. Those will be saved for another post.
I've only one abandoned sock right now,of about three years standing. Or,rather,three years shoved in a drawer,without needles. I've rescued it,and was surprised to see that I was past the heel,prompted by seeing it's abandoned twin on Dawn's[scroll up to see pic] blog ! Exact same yarn and stopping point. Shame her's has a different heel. We could have made a pair. Can't remember why it got ditched as the yarn is nice and I've more sets of 2.5mm needles than I care to confess to.

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Having hardly spun all summer I'm only now finishing the samples that Jeni sent me. Sorry Jeni ! I shall ply the tussah silk/kid mohair and the deliciously soft merino/alpaca/kid mohair blend in the next day or so. They've spun up nicely,but I think such fine fibres blend better,with fewer neps,when the carding cloth is a lot finer. Lets all dream of Patrick Green carders...sigh.

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Oliver's stuff :

The car seat arrived ! A bit later than expected,but very welcome. We couldn't fit Oliver in his old one with anything but the thinnest clothing and he was way over it's weight limit. This is so much better. More comfortable for him,and so much easier for transferring to his wheelchair.


Thank you very,very much.

Going up. And down,and up,and down,and...

Cycling through the crunchy leaves is great fun. This trike is giving him far more than you can imagine. As well as lots of fun it's going to be great for his confidence and self esteem,improve his spatial awareness. When you have little autonomous movement and none at speed it's hard to have a true awareness of yourself in space,in relation to others and static objects. It's hard to imagine what's behind things if you've never been able to explore,or to gauge distances. Oliver's brain is re-wiring at a very rapid rate. A time of great change for him. Very exciting.
It will also give him some great cardio-vascular exercise,and will strengthen his muscles. His legs get a good stretch as he peddles. The callipers keep his legs in a good position. It's fantastic to watch his joy,and hear his laughter. It will be a while before we have to run to keep up. It's very hard work for him to peddle,get to grips with steering [!] and simply keep upright. He's getting better with each trip out.

Our first trip out with the new car seat was to DNEX at Newcastle's Metro arena. It was fantastic and exhausting. So much stuff to see. Not least the wheelchairs from Moving People,including the Hippo. Sadly Oliver couldn't have a go on the display model,but it was good to have another proper look at it. Once ordered they take only 3-4 weeks until delivery. Supposedly.

The application to the Variety Club was looked at on Nov 1st,by the northern regional comittee. If approved it's sent down to London. They may give us all the money,part of it or none at all. We just have to wait. One of the questions was '' how much can you contribute ?". I put the remaining fund total down. I decided that,as ever,total honesty is always best,and that although it was tempting to keep that money for a hoist to get the wheelchair into the car,it is more important to get the wheelchair ! Obviously. It's an anxious wait now. Here's hoping.