Ups and downs

So this week has been like the curate's egg - good in parts!  

Work was mega busy because the boss is now on leave for two weeks.  So at least the first half of the coming week will be spent doing all the little things that need to be done but didn't get done, because I was doing the big things that he needed to have done before he went on leave.  The coming week also means attending the funeral of the friend who died last week.

On the positive side, yesterday I had my hair cut very short so I no longer look like I stuck my finger in the plug socket and my fringe no longer comes below my nose.  I dyed it plum colour this morning, and so far the response has been very favourable.  Yesterday was also Knit Group day, so time spent with like minded people always makes me feel better.  And today I went on a workshop about knitted garments - the first knitting workshop that I've been on at which I never touched a needle!  It was all about the maths needed to change patterns to fit you, your preferred yarn and your gauge.  I think I understood it properly - I now just need the time to get started on a jumper.

However there has been progress on all the things:

I have stitched the middle section of the left hand border and started doing the back stitch on the engine.  I will continue with the back stitch this coming week.  Once that is done, I will go back to working on the border.

I am now up to point 19 on Hitchhiker.  I rather think that this is going to end up as Hitchhiker Plus.  The pattern is designed for 525 metres of 4 ply/sock yarn.  I have 600 metres of laceweight, and my intention is just to knit until I reach the end of the yarn.

Finally I have just started the ribbing on my toe up sock.  I shall be glad to move on to the second sock so that I can try out a different kind of short row heel.  It appears that on one side of the heel I have a tension problem with my wraps, so when you put the sock on, there are holes.  I have been told to try German short rows on the second sock as they might work out better for me.

In other news, Dad seems to be fine following his angina attack - presumably the new meds are doing whatever they are supposed to do - and the replacement for my colleague who left recently starts in three weeks' time.  And I have something really nice to look forward to next weekend, which I hope to tell you all about soon.

So all the best to you and yours, and may the frog stay well clear of your needles.