What she said ...

Not much from me today, but I'd like to point you in the direction of the following blogs. With apologies to those who already read these.

http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/ Scroll down to see the hemlock throw. I am going to do one of these in the Emily I have been unable to resist from Posh Yarn in various shades of purple over the last few weeks. I didn't know why I 'needed' it but now I do.

http://theraineysisters.com/ Susan has just completed a Hemlock Throw and gave an interesting illustration of how to count the rows for the feather and fan pattern here. I left a comment on this post. It still amazes me that real knitters send me emails when I leave comments on their blogs. Amazes and delights. Susan said - 'do it your way, it's your knitting', or words to that encouraging effect :o) So I will do two hemlocks, one with the purl ridges I associate with the feather & fan/Old Shale pattern, and one as written. I found the Rainey sisters because of the American Aran Afghan, another project on the 'to do' list - I have a huge stash of Aran that my conscience wants put to a good use.

Isn't it wonderful that knitting is a community? When I knit pre Internet it was a solitary occupation/pastime how I agree with Dee when she says she wishes she had more time for her hobbies and remembers how she had no hobbies when she had lots of time. Actually, I 'sort of' agree. The bit I am not sure of is the word 'hobbies'. Maybe I have a skewed idea of the importance of Hobbies. Knitting is much more important than that! It is essential, vital, life enhancing, daily, crucial, ... you get the picture?

Before I forget, there is a yahoo groups for the Hemlocky.

I am looking forward to next week, when everyone is back at school and I can get some space to clear all the clutter from my head. It builds up slowly over the holiday. The noise and constant alertness to the demands of others (with no time off for good behaviour) fills up all the space in my head so there is no room for anything else. I need to empty out some of those compartments and reorder what needs to remain. The first step is tomorrow, as a chapter of fostering closes and another phase begins. Unfortunately all of that is confidential. Suffice to say, things should be getting easier soon.

As the week approaches the pages in the diary are empty but each day brings another appointment and Tuesday is already looking full. I hoard the pages carefully and resent the need to add a scrawled engagement to their pages, I want them to remain empty and white, at least a few of them, I need the space in my timetable (and in my head) that the space on the page represents. I know DD1 will need me to be available (thank God for mobile phones) but I don't want to write any more Social Worker appointments in there just yet.

I need that week.

I want to knit a Hemlock :o) It's therapy!

And finally, I did a good deed today, a knitterly thing too. I gave my straight needles (which I will never use again now that I have the KP Options, a couple of duplicate patterns, and some yarn (so she could knit when she got home without having to wait to buy yarn) to the lady who is C's foster carer. When she dropped him off for his respite stay she mentioned that she used to knit a lot (constantly) years ago but had stopped because her ex didn't like her knitting as it took her attention away from him! Good reason to be an ex, I think! And a good excuse to reinfect her with the knitting bug. Feeling smug about that! Maybe that's it, knitting is not my hobby it's my illness and obsession. And she was very pleasingly delighted too.