Recycling Wool...

Recycling wool...this i have done many times in the past with hand-knitted garments. I un-ravel them, then make them into skeins tie both ends so they hold together and put them in a washing bag or pillowcase then wash to straighten the wool, when dry wind it up loosely into balls and any frayed or worn bits cut off. The wool is ready for use.

When i had several odd un-used balls of wool left over. Using my kitchen scales i weighed different colours of wool and made a couple of cardigans for my kids when they were young, with which ever colours were suitable for either of them. I still have un-used balls of wool left over from years ago. Maybe, i will get round to using them now that i've got the urge to knit again.

I think i will make some crochet cushion covers next as i am in need of new ones and buy some new cushion pads too! I've got a couple of patterns that i've never used before.

I think it is better to hand-knit garments or crochet, because over the years of not knitting or crochet, i've bought my knitted cardis and jumpers and found that they fall apart and go out of shape quickly, when i made them they lasted for years.

Recycling wool costs nothing, just the time it takes to un-ravel the wool and washing it. And at the end of your time and effort of re-knitting or crochet you've got another garment to show for it and its a great feeling to know that you've made something and to have not wasted any of the wool. And any left over odd-balls of wool can be used for colour knitting or crochet or made into blankets/throws.

Both of these blankets/throws below are made from un-raveled cardis or left over odd balls of wool. My grandchildren get these out when they have their picnic in the lounge of a Saturday evening which i've mentioned before.

I made these doillies below too...

This is the back of the cardi i am knitting at the moment, i don't know if you can see the pattern on it, its in a cable stitch...

I hav'nt heard from my son since last Tuesday or from my daughter for a week. "?" and i will be picking "ST" up tomorrow for the weekend. I hav'nt seen aunt "D" for a few weeks, i will let her know that i will be over next weekend. I spoke to her on the phone and she is ok as far as i know. Well thats all for now, Best wishes to one and all...

... Astra!

 

Tags: Knitting, Crochet

Knitting,Crochet and Macrame...

cable stitch...

Above is a cable stitch pattern this one is not made by me. Although i have been able to knit and crochet for many years i know that there are many more techniques to be learnt.

crochet shell pattern...

I found this pattern to show you, this one is not made by me, although i have done this pattern before. I find both these hobbies very rewarding while doing them and the end product is so very satisfying. I think its such a shame that these arts are dying out and wish more people would learn to do them.

I always use cheaper equivelent wools or cottons to that stated in some of the patterns as it can be so expensive.The equivelent wools are just as good.

If your a tight knitter or crocheter like i am use one size larger needle and if your a loose knitter or crocheter, use one size smaller needle.

Macrame

This is a choker ( to be worn around the neck) made of knots....

I did'nt make these, i found them to show you what i meant...I have always wanted to learn macrame. This is made from knots, i tried a couple of times the only thing was, i was the one getting into knots...lol.

below is a wall hanging made from knots...

 Astra!

Quite Week...

with thanx to chris for this lovely graphic...

Tuesday 15/5/07... I did'nt do much today really. "?" seemed a little better when he came in this morning, but still unwell, this is an on-going illness that he has, he has good days and bad days. Myself, i 'm fine at the moment thank-goodness!

This afternoon i went online to check a few things out for "?" while "?" watched TV in the lounge. Then closed down the computer to watch TV. This evening i went online for a while, then closed down to watch TV.

 Wednesday 16/5/07... This morning "?" took me to get some shopping, then to to the wool shop to pick up the rest of the wool i had put by. This afternoon i went online as i needed to check something out, then closed down.

This afternoon, i got a phone call from the Drs.surgery. My GP wants to see me Monday morning.

"?" left around 6pm. and i settled to watch TV and got some knitting done. I did'nt feel like going online tonight.

Thursday 17/5/07... "?" came in around 9am and seemed quite and within himself. I did'nt do anything this morning, but this afternoon i got acouple of light chores done in between watching TV in my room, while "?" watched TV in the lounge. Then i settled down with my knitting. "?" left around 6pm and i settled down to watch Emerdale, i will catch up on Eastenders on Sunday.

Well thats all for now as i want ot write another entry which i will probably post tomorrow....I hope your all having a good week. Best wishes to one and all...

 

 

A week of ups and downs...sigh!!!

 

with thanx to missie for this lovely graphic...

 was quite and i spent most of the time watching TV once i had finished a couple of light chores, i did'n bother going online. 

when "?"came in he asked me to cancell his appointment at the Hospital this afternoon as he was'nt too well in himself and rested most of the day and left around 6pm.

When "?" came in he seemed better than he was yesterday. He took me to get some shopping and then to the opticians to get my glasses repaired as they were sitting off centre on my nose. The lady got them sorted for me and they're ok now.

I felt awful all day i had a continuous throbbing and buzzing noise in my head andmy ears were muffled. It was so bad that i was watching TV with the subtittles switched on. My neck, right shoulder,arm and hand has been giving mea lot of pain today too!

 Today i feel a lot better than yesterday. The noises  and pains have gone today. I think it could have been stress that started it off as i had been worrying about a couple of things  lately and found that i need'nt have worried in the first place.

"?" has been ill all day with severe pains in his body and feeling very tired and fatigued. He is complaining of pains in his lower back, theighs, legs and calves.

I hav'nt done much knitting this week or spend much time on the computer either. I have been having a couple of early nights this week too!

This morning "?" came in early and took me to get my weekend shopping, although i did'nt have much to get really. Then we went to pick up "ST" for the weekend. We all had a lengthy chat about the recruiting army officers who will be visiting his school this week. "A" and "J" popped in a little later, when they left we went to do a couple of errands. Later after dinner, "ST" went off to his room to play his X-Box, "?" rested in the lounge as he was'nt feeling too well and he did'nt even watch the horse-racing on TV. A little later"ST" decided to go online, he is building his family tree. "?" left around 5pm and "ST" spent the time online and myself watching TV.

"?" came inand left after an hour, he is in pain and feeling ill. When he left i got on with preparing the dinner and a couple of light chores while "ST" went online once he had his breakfast. After dinner i settled to watch TV . I did'nt do any knitting as i felt too tired and my right arm was hurting and my hand had swollen.

"?" returned later around 6:30pm. Then we took "ST" home, we stayed for a short while then came home "?" left soon after and then i thought i would go online, but i found my server Sky had broke down and i could'nt got online at any cost, so i just watched more TV and had an eary night. I expect the breakdown was due to the weather  being so bad.

 ( Today ) I hav'nt been out at all. I got a couple of things done that needed doing. Then came online to check that all was ok and i am pleased to say it is and glad there was no serious probs... 

 

   I hope you all have a good week ahead of you...Best Wishes to one and all...Astra!

 

Visit to GP

with thanx to Donna for this graphic...

Friday 4/5/07...This afternoon "?" took me to see my GP about the pressure headaches i'm receiving and other symptoms that are getting worse. I put everything down on paper and showed him incase i forgot, which i do quite often. We then had a lengthy chat and a lengthy examination. He told me to go and have a blood test straight away once i left the surgery, which i did. He said he is refering me back to the neurologist once he gets the result next week. I have already had an MRI which showed Arnold Chiari Malformation last June 2006. I don't know how long i will have to wait for the appointment though.

After the examination, my head and neck were giving me a lot of pain which lasted most of the day, so i did'nt do much during the day at all, just rested and watched TV and in the evening i went online for a while and looked in on the chiari group. Do you know when i first heard of chiari people, i thought it was another race of people in a far off country that i had'nt heard of before...lol...silly me! still we live and learn every day don't we. I have written about chiari in and all my symptoms. I have added the link to my health Journal at the end of this entry

Saturday 5/5/07...When "?" came in he took me to get my shopping in for the weekend, then we went to pick "ST" up for the day. On the way home we stopped off at the shops and i bought some wool to make myself another cardi. The colour is a beige-blonde colour and the same patern. I had thrown away all my other paterns a couple of years ago, because i had no intention of knitting any more, but i've got the bug again. I will have to get some more paterns again. yesterday, i just could'nt stand there looking through patern books.

"?" took "ST" home around 4:30pm as "A" and "L" were taking the kids to the bowling alley. Once "?" left i went online, but the pages kept freezing and i could'nt get into my emails.

Sunday 6/5/07...This morning "?" came in then left and i got on with a few thing indoors then made an apple pie for this evening.

Later this afternoon i went online for a couple of hours, then i watched TV and got on with some knitting untill "?" came in then we had our tea then "?" left again around 6:30pm and i came online.  

Well, thats all for now, i'm off to watch some TV and get on with some knitting. I hope your all having a great weekend...Best Wishes to one and all.

http://journals.aol.com/astra1547/Astras-Health-Probs-Journal/
 

Tags: Arnold chiari Malformation

Quite Week...

with thanx to missie for this graphic...

Monday 30/4/07...Today was a quite day. When "?" came in he was'nt to well in himself and left again. I got on with a few light chores, then i went online to do a few things. Then i looked at some tutorial websites for making graphics ect...it looks really hard, but i would like to have a go at it sometime. Later i watched TV. 

Tuesday 1/5/07...I can't believe we're in May already, it only seems like we've just got over Christmas.

When "?" came in this morning, he seemed better than he was yesterday. He stayed for a while then left around lunch time. I got a couple of letters written and settled to watch Midsommer Murders on TV. "?" returned later, then "H" my brother-in-law came by. "?" and "H" chatted for a while then they both left around 6pm.

I put my computer on scan while i watched TV. all was ok there, then i went online for the evening checking out some of the online groups.

 Wednesday 2/5/07...This morning when "?" came in, he took me to the shop. There was'nt much to do today and i was in one of those anyhow moods, so i sat out the garden in the sun for a while reading my book after "?" had left.

Then in the afternoon i went online to check something out then closed down again and just spent my time reading and watching TV untill evening when i came back online.

Thursday 3/5/07... "?" came in this morning and cleaned a couple of my windows for me, then left and i tidied up a bit and leaned some of my ornaments that the kids always play with, my best ones are in a display cabinet. I don't have expensive ones, because i'm accident prone...lol. This afternoon i came online and watched some TV. "?" returned later and left again around 6:pm. 

After he had left, i came online again and i tried my earphones out on my next door neighbor "T", we chatted for a while. They work ok.

I hav'nt heard from "A" over the last couple of days, he has left another car on my front garden and was supposed to have moved it yesterday and i hav'nt heard from "SH" this week either.

My landline phone should be working properly from tomorrow. As it is, i have only got in-coming calls, tomorrow i should be able to ring out again.

All this week has been quite really. Anyway, i hope your all having a good week and i hope you all have a great weekend to look forward to. I don't know if "ST" will be here for the weekend yet, i won't know untill tomorrow...Best Wishes to one and all.