Thursday, May 08, 2008

Poddling Along

Observant readers will have spotted that there hasn't been a great deal of news on the knitting front. However, knitting was what got suggested in the comments to my previous post, so, here's the news: I am still working on the jumper that I started at about the same time I moved in with Steve. I have one-and-two-thirds sleeves left to go, plus a certain amount of sewing up. I am also still working on my birthday socks. It took a month to do the first sock, but I'm still a certain way off finishing the second. Twenty more rounds and then it's the toe decreases, for those In The Know.

There are various reasons for the lack of knitting progress. There was the DLA form-filling, and there was a shoulder injury, and there were a couple of phases where I rediscovered addictions to computer games like The Sims 2 and Settlers. There is also, the Top Seekrit Project.

The Top Seekrit Project is a ******** that I have made for ******. It's ****, just like the *** I made previously, with cute little ******s on it just like on ** ****** ****. I finished knitting it a couple of days ago and now I'm just doing the final sewing-up and blocking. It is just a smidge too big, but I feel quite confident I can find a way around that. I think I have enough of the yarn left that I could make one for myself as well. Tempting.

I can't try it on right now though, because I am covered in sun-cream after a fantastic Day Off Work. It's been the first "normal" day of work I've had from this job, by which I mean, it wasn't because I was sick and in bed, or because I had Plans, or because it was a weekend/bank holiday to be spent cowering indoors from the crowds and traffic (seriously, have you ever tried to propel a mobility scooter through a Saturday shopping crowd? not possible, unless you fit blades to the wheels). It was just a gorgeous day, a weekday, a sunny day. So first I went to Boots, for the purchase of sun-cream, and then, having applied said sun-cream, continued on to the book shop. Half an hour later, I'd finally spent my Christmas Book Tokens, and then it was onwards to the park, where I relaxed in the sunshine or in the dappled shade of the trees by turns, read for a bit, sock-knitted for a bit, and got myself an ice-cream. Mint-choc-chip, as it happens.

It might not sound like much, but it meant a lot to me. It was the first chance I've had to properly go out on my own since starting work. Sure, I go to work, but the taxi picks me up from the door of the house and deposits me at the door of the shop, I can't suddenly decide that I'm going to take a different route, or leave early to do some shopping, or drop a letter in the postbox on my way home. Steve is lovely about driving me places or pushing the wheelchair, but I hate having to be so ask-y, so demanding. So it was nice to just go "I think I'll go over here. Now I think I'll stop for a minute. Now I think I'll go over there," and simply do it, for no apparent reason, without needing to ask someone, or to think carefully about whether I can afford to use up my whole day's energy on such fripperies.

I'm very tired, but very relaxed. Hopefully tomorrow (Friday) I will wake up feeling a bit more refreshed, and then it's an afternoon at work before the weekend-proper.

12 comments:

Carie @ Space for the Butterflies said...

You could always run a band of elastic around the inside of the ******* to make sure it keeps it's shape - it's very pretty and I'm sure ****** will like it :)

Mary said...

Yes - I thought I had some, but I can't seem to find it.

Mary said...

Well, the distinguishing feature is that when the stupid mind doesn't want to play ball, I am incapable of, you know, writing about it, whereas, when the stupid body is having a strop, writing is one of the few things I can still do... ;)

It's equally frustrating to have an active consciousness but the stupid brain letting you down. It's like being in an exam or a quiz and going "I really do KNOW this one, aargh, I know I know this one, tip of my tongue, damn damn damn" except it's not stuff like the chemical properties of sodium or the name of the lead actor in Men In Black. It's simple stuff like the word 'table', or the sum 7+9, or when things are really bad, my own name.

DD said...

I have had an entertaining half hour filling in the blanks in
"The Top Seekrit Project is a ******** that I have made for ******. It's ****, just like the *** I made previously, with cute little ******s on it just like on ** ****** ****."
There are some good stories in there.

Mary said...

I beg to inform Dame Honoria that all of the words which have been censored, have had the correct number of asterisks for the letters they replaced. I hope that this information may assist her in her travails.

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't worry about taking a long time to knit anything, my mum is still knitting a cardigan for my school trip to France when I was 13 (I'm 27 now)

Pandora Caitiff said...

I hope when the Seekrit Project is finished you will take pictures (and share them after a suitable embargo)

Mandy said...

Looking forward to seeing the Secret project.

Anonymous said...

Able bodied people who work full time do not know how lucky they are.

Mary said...

Roxy - is that "still knitting" or just "hasn't decided whether to frog or finish it yet"?

The Top Seekrit project will be photographed before being sent to the recipient, but for obvious reasons, photographs will not be published on my flickr/Ravelry/blog/etc until after it has been received.

Anonymous said...

It has 2 arms and half a back...

Mary said...

Hmmm. Well, the Ravelry progress bars for my jumper, I've reckoned 10% for collar/trim, 10% for blocking and sewing up (uses less yarn, but takes ages compared to the actual knitting parts), 25% for the front, 25% for the back, and 15% for each sleeve.

So 2 sleeves and half a back is... 43%. Nearly halfway!

So if we call that 15 years for half a cardie, it should be finished by the time you're 42.

(I thought about that far too much)