Hip Hip….

Hooray?

well the hip part is right. I started feeling the niggling pain back in hip a couple of days ago and it has gradually got worse, so back to the GP I limped. I have been referred back to Addenbrookes Hospital, this time to the Orthopaedic team as after examination (and pain) my GP managed to make hip clunk, that’s right no ‘clicking’ joints for me but deep seated clunking ones. That said is is pretty certain it isn’t actually a problem with the bone(s) as my x-ray a few weeks ago was clear but more likely a soft tissue/cartilage problem. I was prescribed more painkillers (Co-Dydramol) and have to wait to hear from Addenbrookes. I’m glad that the issue is being investigated but in the mean time I am in pain and when not in pain (after taking pain meds) am either drowsy/dopey or asleep so still not able to sit at a desk an concentrate on my work. I have also got to delay my meeting at uni about my project as have to rest my hip for another 2-3 days, which means no walking to bus stop/around campus etc. The real bummer though is no spinning so I won’t be able to get my sweater yarn plied up for a while. This will however leave an opening for a new sweater project as I am so very close to finishing the Trellis & Lace pullover. I am undecided about what to cast-on but the options are:

Stranded/Colourwork

Kauni cardigan in Kauni EP
Little Birds by Ysolda in Drops Alpaca
Freya Sweater by Courtney Kelley in Drops Alpaca
Enid Cardigan in Drops Alpaca

Sweaters/Pullovers

Layered Skater’s Top by Veronik Avery in Rowan Cotton Glace
Owls by Kate Davies in Zitron Loft Classic (Burgundy)

Cardigans/Jackets

Nonpareil by Berroco in Rowanspun Aran (from frogged Wicked which is way to big now)
Miss BB by Chic Knits in Rowanspun Aran

Tomorrow I hope to frog the Wicked which is hugely to big now and soak/wash the skeins ready for swatching, and start swatching for he stuff I have the yarn and patterns for. I will probably decide to cast on for 2 projects – one mindless knitting (little or no cable/colourwork) and one with either cables or colourwork throughout.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

 

Fyberspates Scrumptious Roving, originally uploaded by lyndsey-jane.

Today was a perfect autumnal Sunday. It started with a nice lie-in (with no guilt as all the housework was done on Saturday), followed by a breakfast and coffee. I then spent most of the day spinning and finished off watching season 4 of Supernatural. We had beef stew and dumplings cooked in the slow cooker for dinner and then started watching season4 of Bones.
Spinning was fantastic, I hadn’t spent that long in front of the wheel for ages and forgot just how relaxing it is. I started by finishing of last bobbin of singles for my sweater yarn (hopefully I can get it plied this week) and then started spinning the roving in the picture – scrumptious (merino/silk) from Fyberspates. I had never spun anything with silk in before and it took a little getting used to. I am spinning it on the second for fastest ratio on my wheel and it is spinning up like a dream, and nice and fine. The two braids whilst no identical are fraternal twins and I plan to ply the them together, so one ply will be lighter and more green than the other darker more blue one. If I could find mt camera cable I would post photos of the singles on the bobbin. They have so much shine and lustre, and the dark blue/purple is reminiscent of the colour of ink from a biro when it leaks out of the top.

People always remark that knitting/spinning is relaxing and calming, and I do find it is, which is why I can see alot of fibre play happening our house over the next few weeks – Karl is going to try and quit smoking. He has an appointment with the nurse at our GP clinic tomorrow to discuss the best plan for him, but has being trying to cut down this weekend and decided to ‘make do’ with the baccy he had rather than buy some more. this meant that come early afternoon he ran out. Even after a few hours without a cigarette he started to become short tempered, but i managed to hold my tongue and not retaliate to anything I would normally, especially as I was mindful that I am suffering from PMS at the moment. I swear if it wasn’t DVD boxsets keeping us occupied there may have been bloodshed. I am actually really proud of him for even trying as he has been smoking for over 10 years. If anyone has any advice about quitting smoking or supporting someone trying to quit it would be gratefully received.
In other news my hip has started to hurt again, not as bad as before but it is definitely the same pain in the same place. If it gets worse again then I will go back to my GP and see if anyone has any idea what it causing it. So far I just have a list of things that it isn’t. Iit is nearly 28 days since the pain started last time, so I am waiting to see if it follows the same pattern as before, over the next 5-6days, (getting gradually worse then going away for 21days) in which case it may be gynae related as fits my cycle. (TMI? sorry)
Tomorrow I plan to scour the house in search of my camera cable and if I can’t find it then i think I’ll just buy a replacement from Tesco when I go to pick up dinner, as I really need update my stash and projects page on Ravelry.

Sleeve Island

I had decided to finish up some wips this month and pulled out my alpaca trellis and vine pullover which was so close to being an FO, only needing it’s second sleeve. For the past few days I have been frantically knitting away without really paying any attention to the sleeve, only the pattern. Earlier tonight I compared the first finished sleeve with my now almost finished second sleeve to see when I needed to start the lace and cable cuff – ooops! The second sleeve was a good 2 inches longer than it’s finished mate and that is without the cuff. A quick glance at the pattern revealed my mistake, I had been decreasing every 16 rounds (as for smallest size) not every 8 as per the size I am knitting. A quick visit to the frog pond and I am now back on track and should still finish the sleeve by the beginning of next week.
Anyone who follows me on twitter will notice i posted about being stuck on sleeve island, I now know why it felt like the sleeve was taking forever..
In other news did anyone see Ali & Brian’s amazing Vienese waltz tonight. I will admit that it bought tears to my eyes it was so beautiful.
Better get back to this sleeve.

Starting to feel like the world is conspiring against me; I woke this morning with irritating cough and sore throat, which has developed throughout the day into either flu or a cold. Spoken to a doctor who says my temperature isn’t high enough for it to be swine flu (a least that’s a positive) and to do the usual – plenty of fluids, paracetamol and contact doctors again if I get worse. I’m not worried about swine flu itself but I am slightly concerned that if I do get it I then succumb to a secondary infection affecting  my chest/lungs.

Going to relax and listening to an audiobook until headache clears enough to sleep. I am currently listening to Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy which I am enjoying but think I will look for something a little more lighthearted and less intense whilst my brain feels like zombie food. If I can’t decide on something new to download I have Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer on my itouch.

Hope everyone enjoyed their bonfire night, I heard lots of fireworks but didn’t see any, not even out of the window

Mobile blogging

Decide to see how easy it would be to post from the wordpress app on my itouch. Typing is an acquired talent on the small keyboard but doable.
Karl survived the dentist today and they were really nice that I registered – I haven’t been to the dentist for over 10 years.
Looking forward to a day of spinning and knitting tomorrow and weather permitting photo shoots. Off to bed now to read some Flash Forward, very different to TV show but very good so far.

I had plans to take loads of photos today but the weather didn’t cooperate i.e. it pee’d down almost all day. I was going to take part in NaKniSweMo but when I looked at my wips I decided to dedicate November to wip wrestling. I have a few projects which are so close to being finished or just need buttons and/or blocking. I have started the second sleeve on my Alpaca Trellis & Vine sweater and am planning a block-athon early next week to block the 2 blankets and 2 shawls that need doing, as well as the outers of the fiddlehead mittens and my Audrey in Unst.

I have to go to the city tomorrow to take back a skirt I bought from John Lewis (the seam started to rip after almost no wear at all) and then I have to hold Karl’s hand when he goes to the dentist.

Must go to bed now as early start in the morning

Good Day

Yesterday (although being awesome because is was my bday) was kind of an anti-climax, today however was great. Up nice and early to go get my nail done, but not before spending some time chilling in Starbucks (red cups start tomorrow btw) with soy caramel machhiato and porridge. I managed to get my itouch working with Starbucks wifi and downloaded twitterific and wordpress apps.

 

There are loads of charity shops near where I get my nails done and i always pop in and see of there are any books going cheap – this week was a good week. I have heard people rave about Diana Wynne Jones but never managed to find any of her books but today found two (Black Maria and Dogsbody) for £1 each and Mist of Avalon by Marion Bradley for £1.50.  My pile of ‘to-read’ books is getting very big.

Hoping to take some photos of recent wips, fo’s and stash tomorrow.

 

Happy Birthday?

Today is/was my 33rd birthday!!!

My parents came up to see us and we went the The Rupert Brooke for sunday lunch (gorgeous as ever) and then I spent a frustrating evening trying to sort my birthday present out.

Karl and my parents chipped in together to get my a ipod touch. I needed a new (bigger ipod) and liked the idea of being able to tweet and check my e-mail on the go so decide a 32gb itouch would be perfect. I managed to sync with itunes and all my music, podcasts and a couple of audiobooks are nicely transfered over, trying to use the app/itunes store, sync my e-mail (which is a mobileme account from apple) and get on the internet is simply impossible. It was easy enough to pick up our home wi-fi signal but for some reason I couldn’t get it open safari, send/recieve mails or open anything else requiring internet.

I had been looking forward to getting this for ages and have a great experience with apple/mac in the past with things being simple to use – not this time. At one point I was almost in tears because it wouldn’t work. I have booked a slot at the genius bar in apple store in city  for tuesday morning in the hope i have just done something/not done something really simple and it will be up and running. In the mean time it works as an ipod but nothing else, which kinda defeats the object of spending the extra money on it.

Company, presents and lunch was great but the ipod issue has put a slight dampner on my birthday and I will try to bring you a more upbeat optmistic post tomorrow.

NaBloPoMo

my poor, poor neglected blog is going to get some long over due attention, and in an attempt to start regular blogging again I have joined NaBloPoMo. So starting tomorrow there will be daily blog posts. See y’all then!

Green Fingers?

I have never liked gardening. I’ve never seen the point of digging the dirt just to make it look pretty for a few months when the flowers are out, then have to pull out weeds all year and start again the next.

I can however see the point to digging dirt etc to grow food. Unfortunately our garden is not suitable to grow veggies, so I have taken to the ‘urban’ route and plan to grow herbs in pots. At 32 I have never grown anything before in my life, I not even been able to keep pot plants alive. I am hoping that the thought of fresh herbs whenever i want will be enough to keep me motivated to water them.

You wanna see what I got?

From L to R: Oregano, Rosemary & Basil

Clockwise from bottom: Applemint, Rocket & Red Veined Sorrel

From L to R:  Thyme, Chives & Flat Leaf Parsely

For observant I am aware I need to repot the middle plants, but I had run out of compost and they are being re-potted tonight.

Fingers crossed!