Anti-depressants - how despressing!

It's very disappointing to hear all over the news that a reports suggests that commonly prescribed anti-depressants are ineffective.

I've been taking them for years - perhaps that's why I've been feeling so crap for a few weeks?

It's been a couple of days for disappointments - firstly I was at work until 3 yesterday, and until 5 today (I'm supposed to finish at 2) because of having to sort out other people's problems (I know, nobody likes a martyr), and yesterday I decided that I had to undo the back of my waistcoat (decided to design my own in the end), cos it was muppetry compared to the front.

Never mind -that's what makes life interesting.


I feel as though I'm trying to spread myself a little thin at the moment, what with work, writing and everything else I'm trying to do.

Never mind - all things pass.

Now published on line! But poorly.

I am now, officially, a suite 101 writer.

This is very exciting, and there's something very special about seeing the copywrite symbol against your name.

I've written a piece on using less paper in the workplace, and I've had lots of ideas for future articles. It's a good exercise.




I'm off work poorly sick today, and despite my lack of wellness, I'm still feeling guilty if I don't DO something, Man, I should have a religion - at least the guilt would have a reason based in culture and history.

A third draught excluder!

I took Brenda's draught excluder round on Friday, and made a stooopid mistake of the 1st order.

I put it over Alfie the labrador's back.

Lo and behold, I hadn't made a draught excluder after all - I'd made a toy for Alfie!

So, there I was on the train this weekend knitting a 3rd tube to be stuffed with old socks!

And I'm the woman who always says "I never knit the same pattern twice, as it would be too boring".

On the plus side, I had put together a ball of stash remnants, and used Russian joins for the first time so as every, life's a learning curve!

A knitting dilemma

Here's the thing -

I want to make a waistcoat, well, I want to make a number of waistcoats, and I usually like to create my own pattern.

However, in among the pattern stash is a basic pointed-front waistcoat pattern which would do as my template, and then I could just add the colour patterns as needed.

However, if I do this, my dumb pride will be dented, as it won't be all my own work.

So, do I make up my own pattern (using an existing fabric waistcoat for measurements) and design it all from the ground up? Or do I think "why put yourself through that" and just add the colours and stitches I want to the existing pattern.

Am I guilty of pride or laziness?

Answers on a postcard please to.....................

Oops! - smaller draught excluder needed

Oopsie!





The draught excluder that I made for Brenda was a tad big (in diameter), and managed to fall off the ledge by the door. This in itself is not a problem, except it fell against the outside door, and she almost couldn't get back into the house!





Smaller draught excluder to the rescue!

This was a stash buster, as I made a ball of all of the odds and ends, and just knitted away from there!

Double oopsie.

For all my stash busting efforts above, I visited a craft and yarn shop yesterday, and the owner was selling off the yarn cheap, so I helped her to clear her stock. My cupboard now needs wedging closed!

I've been a bit lax in my duties

I've not been a good correspondent, knitting patterns aside.

So what's been happening in the exciting world of moi?

Bugger all really.

My best beloved had a birthday, so we went to see St Trinians. I'm not sure that "better than I thought it would be" is a glowing film review.

Writing

So little done that it's embarrassing. Life has taken over, somewhat.

Knitting

I'm carrying on with Brenda's second draught excluder - sadly the first one was not a hit, and succeeded in getting wedged under the wrong door giving her problems getting into her house, so a second attempt is required. I'm using up some old stash with it, so it's another recycled effort.

I've also started the back of a waistcoat, but I don't know what the front's going to be like, yet.

Apart from that I've had my hair cut (very stylish), and have been training a new employee, so am knackered, and off to listen to Radcliffe and Maconie whilst enjoying a jacket potato.

Rock and Roll, eh?

Bathmat pattern

Crunchy Bathmat.

This is a design which uses a simple technique to create 5 stitch pleats by carrying the yarn behind the work.

Therefore, 2 balls of yarn are needed to create the pattern.

This technique creates a nice thick fabric, suitable for walking on.


Materials:
2 balls of Wendy Supreme 100g Luxury Cotton DK
3.75mm needles.

Tension:
Unimportant, but the mat above came out at 19” x 13 ½”

Method:
The original was made in one colour, but still using 2 balls of yarn – called A and B for explanation purposes.

Using ball A, cast on 152 stitches, and knit 2 rows.

Row 3: K1, join ball B. *K5 B, K5A, rep from * to last st, k1B

NB - Do not weave the yarn when knitting, simply drop it behind the work until needed. This leaves a looped pattern at the back of the work, and creates the pleats in the fabric.

Back of work.

Row 4: K1B, *K5A leave yarn on wrong side, K5B leave yarn on wrong side, rep from * to last st, K1A.


To follow the pattern exactly, got to http://lesthechick.googlepages.com/bathmatchart.pdf
and print the chart to show the stocking stitch/garter stitch pattern.
(nb – it looks awful on screen when the pdf opens, but the print is clearer to read. White squares = K on right side, P on wrong side, Grey squares = K on wrong side)

Rows 111-2: Knit
Cast Off.

Variations:
As this stitch pattern is traditionally worked in garter stitch using two balls of yarn, it lends itself well to stripes, checks and shadow knitting patterns.