The best laid schemes

"The best laid schemes
o' mice and 'men
Gang aft a-gley"
Robert Burns c. 1785

And, boy oh boy did my plans gang a-gley. A week past Saturday was the first of it, youngest daughter started puking for all she was worth. Hubby came home from Houston and instead of a welcoming wife he got one very frazzled wife and an ill child. On Sunday I had to work all day, so he was baby sitting and middle daughter became ill. It turned out she hadn't got the pukes, but she had the flu. It was the full monty, sweating, shivering, coughing, aching etc. Fortunately my brave hubby is good with illness and took it all in his stride. Monday morning saw me start to feel ill and I have been coughing and sneezing all week. My bones ache and I don't want to sit down, but I don't want to stand up because I'm tired and on it goes. I started to feel a little better by Friday and we went out for a meal with friends. Saturday saw me doing another full day, and Sunday I was back to my 24 hour shift. Yesterday was spent sleeping for most of the day.

What may you ask has this to do with plans, well because of illness I haven't started my knitting for the Olympics yet, so am a bit like Eddie the Eagle. Full of good intentions, but crap at actually getting going. Today was going to be my knitting day, but things have just been pants again and I have been trying to catch up with house work. Tonight is the first night of two nights training and I am not looking forward to it at all. I have a number of clients who are epileptic and I have to learn how to administer rectal diazipam, so this is going to be what I am doing for Valentines night. No fancy panties and chocolates for me. I supposed I could always try out my techniques on hubby when I get home, but I don't think he will be that appreciative of it :-)

The only positive thing that I have now done, is link up the SFSE button to the Free to Stitch site, and also linked the Celtic knitters button to the Yahoo site for the Celtic Knitter.

Stitch and Bitch

Not really a stitch and bitch, I just wanted to use the phrase :-) You might be thinking HUH!?! And I wouldn't blame you. I am using it in reference to the whole sorry tale about a New York based company and the fact that they are trying to tell most of the knitting community that they can't use the phrase Stitch and Bitch because it is their registered trademark. More can be found here and here. I first heard about it on knitflame and wasn't going to comment on it. I'm not usually one of those people who get involved in anything that might cause me problems, but then I thought No!, it's about time knitters/crafters stood up to be counted. For too long we have been the folk who have been laughed at or sneered at for enjoying something that gives us pleasure. If you go to the SFSE site, down at the very bottom you will see the words Stitch and Bitch Cafe with the little R sign next to it. Fair enough they registered the words "Stitch and Bitch Cafe" not the phrase Stitch and Bitch. Now you may say that it is being picky to differentiate, but this company have closed down, or made groups on Yahoo change their names because they have the words Stitch and Bitch or derivatives in their name. Until this whole sorry mess blew up, I had never heard of SFSE, and even if I had I wouldn't want to be dealing with them again. You will see that I have a little button in the right hand column of my blog. At present it isn't linked to anything, but it will be when I can get a minute to sort out the Html. If you are now totally bored with the whole thing, here's Franklins thoughts on it.

On the knitting front, I have almost finished the Jean Moss sweater. I have had a few hiccups along the way, but it is looking rather nice and should be finished by tomorrow. I can then start on the Shilasdair sweater. Do you know since I have been knitting for Jean I haven't bought any yarn of my own. My husband can't believe it, because I would normally be out at least once a week and adding to my ever increasing pile. Now, that isn't to say that I haven't been buying stash, just I haven't been buying yarn :-)

I have bought some fabric to do some patchwork with one of my clients. She is wanting to make a memory quilt, but has never done any sewing or patchwork due to a long term illness. It has been less than a year since she started to get better and she is wanting to learn so much and do things that she hasn't been able to do until now. It is very difficult for us to get any fabric here because the nearest patchwork shop is in Aberdeen and since I don't drive and she can't walk very far I have to order from eBay. I have been very happy with what I have received, but it isn't like being able to go in and look at the fabrics and choose your own colours or yardage. Wednesday is the only day of the week that I do patchwork, so I have promised myself not to get carried away and buy lots of stash. I can't wait to get started properly, but at the moment it is more a case of showing her how to sew and how to be her own boss. For the last ten years she wasn't able to do anything and just directed other people and is finding it very hard to learn how to do things for herself. She isn't lazy by any means and is a bright girl, but her brain just can't get used to thinking and doing. I do enjoy being with her though. Imagine I'm getting paid to just sit and sew for three whole hours a week, plus we get to have a laugh.