This and that

It has happened so much since my last post so I hardly know where to begin.

From now on I have a little more time to knit (and maybe even blog...) I'm going on half time sick leave because my back is absolutely killing me if I sit on my butt all day, which I do at work. I felt such a relief when I finally asked the doctor for it. So working half time for two months and then vacation until the baby arrives. And then... no time at all?

We have a long weekend, Thursday was a holiday and we took Friday off. Very nice. We have lots to do in the garden but the weather hasn't been very cooperative. It rained on Thursday and it has been raining most of the day today. Yesterday the wearther was great, warm and sunny, so I managed to mow the lawn and M did some weeding. But we have lots more that needs doing *now*. Mostly weeding and fertilizing the poor hedges. I can't bend down to do any weeding (poor me ;-) so M has to do it all.

We have been away for a few weekends and it really shows in the garden. First it was the cruise (which was rather nice, except for the weather...) and then M's mother was very ill so we visited her at the hospital last weekend. My inlaws lives 200k away from us and we don't see them very often. This time we are all really happy that we did go, because M got a sad phonecall on Tuesday, she had passed away. She was only 65.

MIL was diagnosed with breast cancer almost ten years ago and got well again. Then the cancer returned last year or so and after that it has been a rollercoaster, up and down with a stroke thrown in for good measure. This winter and spring she was ok, she even worked a little. But in the end it went downhill very fast, a month ago she was relatively healthy, then she suddenly got more and more confused and had to stay at the hospital. When we visited she was barely conscious and hardly spoke, though she did say hi to H.

The children were with us a the hospital. H was ok, she sat in her grandfather's lap beside grandmother or played around them. E was not so ok. He didn't cry or anything, but I think he understood that it was very bad and didn't want to look to much at her. Instead he wanted to explore her room and the corridors outside. So we let him do that. Still I think it is good that they got to see their grandmother one last time, that she was so very ill she couldn't live anymore. The funeral will be in early June but we haven't decided if we are taking the children. FIL wants them to come, to act as a distraction I think. My mother is certain that they shouldn't go. We'll have to discuss it.

I got my final Sockret package yesterday! My poor Pal Emma had to send two packages, the first one disappeared in the post and never arrived :-( But this one did arrive with sock yarn, cute butterfly stitch markers, a Yarn Harlot book (I love the Yarn Harlot) and she knit new socks for me instead of the ones that disappeared! Soft, thick, lovely socks that I'll save for winter. What yarn is it, Emma? It feels very nice. And what pattern? It looks a bit like Baby Cable, is that what it is?


The socks *are* the same length BTW, I don't know why they look so wonky in the pic.
Thank you so much for being my pal, Emma! And I saw your ad in the latest Yarn! I've started subscribing. Thanks for sending me the mag in the first package, I like it a lot.

Litla Dimun shawl is finished, haven't blocked it yet though. I don't have a good place for blocking things, no wall-to-wall carpets and no unused beds. Maybe I'll borrow the kids foam puzzle mats, they should work with a towel on.

I cast on a new shawl at once, Swallowtail from Interweave Knits Fall 2006. I'm using actual lace weight yarn for the first time, my other shawls have been in sock yarn or DK weight. Now I'm using Zephyr in Steel and 3mm Addis. Lovely yarn! I bought a few different colours from Sarah's Yarns ages ago but I haven't been able to decide upon a pattern until now. I think it will turn into a lovely shawl, if I can keep my head on... It is rather more tricky to see where I am in the pattern with this thin yarn. The Zephyr is thinner than the yarn in the pattern so I don't know how big the shawl will be. I'm planning to give it to my grandmother for her birthday in August and she is very petite (she's little more that 150 cm tall, about 5" nothing) so it'll be ok even if it turns out smaller than the original.

I haven't done much on the Panda Cotton socks, instead I have been working on a Yarn Pirate pair, this is merino/tencel Rosie. Lovely yarn, soft, easy to work with and it has a lovely sheen to it.


Toe-up of course. I got inspired by all the Rocking Sock club socks with garter stitch short-row heels and toes so I tried that. I like the look, but maybe I should have worked some more garter stitch rows before starting the main pattern, the toe looks very short now. The stitch pattern is from Charlene Shurch's new sock book, it's called Double Fleck. Really easy and I love the unexpected vertical lines.


The top is my first picot edging (on a sock anyway) I think it suits this pretty sock! I haven't finished it off yet so it looks a bit weird here.

The second sock is just above the toes, but it's going with me to the midwife on Tuesday for a two-hour glucose test. Prime knitting time! I need to bring something easy, beacuse I'm not allowed anyting to eat or drink after midnight and then to drink that super sugary stuff... My brain may not be up to any thinking.

I'm also working on Boyfriend Socks for M. Or almost Boyfriend socks. Of course I couldn't leave the pattern alone... I originally started a pattern from Favorite Socks, but it didn't suit the yarn so I ripped back to the toe and came to think about this pattern that I have been planning to knit for ages. It suits the Interlacements Tiny Toes very well and at 72 stitches it is striping nicely and the cables show up beautifully.

The colour is off as usual, it's a bit more green in it IRL. I think I have to learn how to do colour corrections on photos...
I came upon the Sherman Heel recently so I tried it on this sock instead of the one in the pattern, *very* nice I must say and not as fiddly as my usual wrapped-a-la-Wendy or the PGR one. Wendy by the was has a new sock pattern up with a gusset heel that I plan to try on the Panda Cotton socks. I have a highish instep so I think it may suit me. Check her free pattern page.

The first Loopy Ewe Sock Club package also arrived! I'm sure everyone else have already got their packages, and I have seen some finished socks even. The yarn is yummy. A very summery greenish blue, green and yellow merino/bamboo from All Things Heather. There was also a sock pattern, chocolate, a sheep soap, and some Kool Aid. All packed in a great little project bag in the same style as the Loopy Groupie tote. I think I'll save the Kool Aid for dyeing with though, I'm sure the baby will turn yellow if I drink the stuff ;-)