I-Knit and I Won a Prize!!

Ivy-except its black

I- Knit

I cant seem to click and drag these photos so this is my prize yarn and above bad photo of YarnHarlot

I had a fabulous day at I-knit. we drove down the night before. the journey was a nightmare. We couldnt leave until 5.30pm because Norman was working. it was absolutely lashing it down and we hit rush hour traffic. It took us 2 hours to get to birmingham! we stoppedvoff at the service station and decided we'd have some tea. There was only a burger King open. YUK!! it was disgusting. why cant they have decent food at service stations? In France the food at the services is fabulous. you can have a 3 course gourmet meal instead of the burger and chip rubbish we get offered here.

ANyway we got to our hotel at 10.30pm and collapsed in a heap! 

Norman was up early as he was worreid about parking , but he found a traffic warden who said you can park for free 24hors a day with a disabled badge. There have to be some benfits from being disabled. Parking is one esp round London. It was so easy!

The other is not having to queue for the loo!!

Getting around the Horicultural hall where the i-knit day was wasnt so easy. There were loads of steps and little levels of floor space that I couldnt visit. I had to go in the back through the fire doors as it was. As I was in a minority of one on my scooter dont s'pose I can complain really! There were a few wheelchairs but only me on scooter.

I found a lift so I could get to the loo, but the coffee shop was another story. I finally found it a 4pm!! Then there were steps to get up to the counter, now I could've got off my scooter, but there was a long slow queue which I couldnt stand in so I waved at a woman behind the counter and explained so she took my order and brought it to me!! One way of queue jumping!

ANyway moaning apart It was a great day. I met my pals Chezza and Orysia whom I've met through Stitchlinks-link at side- and Betsan who runs Stitchlinks. Then I met Feltboots and Saira from Rav and Angel yarns forums. It was nice to introduce hubby to chezza and betsan so he knows that they're real and not just names in the ether!

I didnt buy a single thing!! Arnt I good. This is because I've always aimed for sock and lace yanrs. no point now, I dye my own!!

But i did enter the MIrasol raffel that Andy the Bluefaced man was running. I got a phone call off him on Monday to say that I had won a prize!!! I was so excited.

I've won 2 skeins of Artists pallette alpaca lace weight in a lovely mix of pale pinks and greens. Its so soft, but I'm not sure what I'm going to knit with it yet as my brain isnt doing lace at the mo.

In the evening we found a fabulous Greek taverna in Ealing. the food was gorgous and there was so much of it. In fact all we did all weekend was stuff our faces!! On the way home on Sunday, not able to stand motorway services food again, we came off the motorway at Coventry-not a very nice city what we saw of it, all 60's concrete-and drove towards Birmingham. we found what we thought was a pub for a snack lunch, but it turned out to be a carvery. We had the biggest sunday lunch you've ever seen for £6.50 each!!!  anyway we're home now and its taken me a good few days to recover!!

Knitting

On the knitting front my Ivy is coming along. I've finished the back and started the left front. The photo has come out charcoal for soem reason, but its black! I took my Jaywalker socks to London and knitted the foot so I'm now ready to shape the toes. who knows I may finish them soon!!

FM

 well apart from the struggles aof getting around London, although parking with a disabled badge is a doddle, I have done something to my back and am in agony!! I think this has to do with holding a heavy light fitting whilst Norman put it up in the lounge!! I have now realised that all my muscles in my back and belly have gone into spasm from the waist down. It is increadibly psinful. so much so infact that I've been taking Tramadol on top of my Morphine patch. dunno if you're supposed to do that, but one of my FM friends is prescribed both so I thought what the heck, needs must!!

I now have a carer to take me swimming once a week in my wheelchiar. Well I obviously dont go into the pool in my wheelchair!! you know what I mean. except she's had her bunions done so is out of action for 6 weeks!!! great! She's a volunteer with the Jewish social services which is called The Fed.  

They do the most amazing worek within the Jewish community and have a volunteer section which provides help for all sortsd of people anbd ages. When I was very ill with the depression they sent 6th formers to play with Josh a couple of nights a week. Rachel has joined the 6th form scheme and will be volunteering with someone soon.

My Tribunal is in 2 weeks so I'm getting rather nervous to say the least.

HOME FRONT

They're all back at school and Sam has gone back to his new house in Leeds ready for Uni so I've got my quiet days back again. The dynamics within the house always change when Sam isnt around as he and Josh cant fight! he came home last night for the dentist today and is going back today so it was a fleeting overnight visit. Of course I miss him, but we've got into a routine at home , the four of us,. Eachel is already finding the jump to A level huge and is bogged down with homework. She has been very tired, stressed and incredibly grumppy this past week and isnt even hormonal!! She's taking over where Sam left off!

Norman seems alot better thankfully.