I have man-flu. I feel rotten I can’t stop sneezing, coughing and blowing my nose. I figured out that last night I must have woken up on average every 45 mins to blow my nose as there were that many tissues in the morning. Consequentially my knitting is not really happening.
Last weekend was Mother’s Day and I didn’t have any knitting with me on my visit to mum’s so she said “you could knit those sock heels for me….” so I did. Mum had started knitting the same toe up sock from a pattern in Simply Knitting 4 times and stopped at the same point (just before the heel) on each one. I think she did attempt it on one but the pattern had a slight misprint/ambiguous instruction and she gave up – 4 times! Don’t worry she knows I find this hilarious/frustrating.
So last weekend I knitted FOUR sock heels in a row. And it’s a silly way of doing it, if you ask me. I much prefer the widdershins pattern, it’s so tidy and there are no picking up stitches requirements. AND you end up with a double thickness heel due to the slip stitches, very sensible. (you can tell I’m ill – I sound grumpy)
This week I have knitted the leg parts of two of the socks for mum and am ready to cast off if they fit her ok – I knit tighter than she does. I always have, ever since I was little. I remember handing her my knitting every few rows when I was a kid so she could knit a row and loosen it up for me as I would make it progressively tighter and tighter on each row until it was impossible to get the needle in the stitches and then I’d expect mum to fix it – as you do! I figured I deserved to be allowed to knit the fun leg pattern bit after doing 4 lots of penance on the heels!!
Today as I’m mostly feeling crap I am reading The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, as recommended by Nic here. I had seen it in a bookshop but hadn’t bought it but then Nic said she thought I would like it as it’s feels very similar to 84 Charing Cross Road so I bought it today and have been reading it all afternoon. I can’t tell you if I like the ending but I like the starting very much. The characters are lovely and warm and I feel like I want to go and visit them on Guernsey myself. My parents and I went there on holiday when I was 16 and I remember visiting the La Valette Underground Military museum so reading this book is bringing back those memories as well. I have family there still from Dad’s side so who knows, it may bring on a visit.
College has finished this week for the term but I’m going to enrol again in April. My painting of the sea urchin and shells is coming on well but it does take so long to do anything…. I do find that combining knitting with painting works well. I paint a bit and then while it’s drying I knit and look at it to decide which bit to paint next. If I didn’t knit in between I would pester the wet paint and ruin it – I’m too impatient!!
