Support thread 3 - further blanketeering

[tribpot]

Oh no! The previous thread has become full and suddenly we need a new one, with no way of linking old to new. I hope people will find this one. :)

This is a continuation of our thread supporting MNers creating blanket squares for Woolly Hugs. All are welcome.

Ophelia, you're on - I've put you above the line where 'here be dragons' as otherwise it's only DAISY and me representing the North of England, with Formerly technically on the right latitude but in another country If you live just south of the line, I'm moving the line down!

I'm surprised to hear Chester is short on wool shops, I would have thought it'd have a few naice places.

I'm off today to my 'knitting with colour' workshop so I am insanely excited to learn how I've been doing it wrong all this time.

Rosie! That's marvellissimo

Pours two gins, clinks glass with Rosie - cheers!

And drinks both of em herself

Addendum to: Poem on the occasion of how happy we are that it's Friday (for Pidj and Barbara)

(insert after verse two)

AND Friday is our day for beer and squash ...
Along with having a REALLY good wash.

:o

More squash is being consumed, and I have given myself the MN haircut plus fringe

Rosie:

"And tablet arrives to give the hookers a buzz,
But evaporates before they can complete their sugar rush"

Scanning not quite to MN poet laureate standard, but not bad for a first attempt!

Afternoon all? have had a rather stressful week with my tenants and am seriously considering jacking the whole landlord thing in. At the ripe old age of 39 this is as clear a message as there's ever going to be that I really am doing what I should be (youth counsellor) and I'm really not cut out to be a business woman (not that I was considering a change of career, but the rest of my family are rather business-minded, all my school friends are winning entrepreneur awards/getting huge promotions etc so sometimes you just think 'should/could I?').

Anyway (vent nearly over) knitting and cuddles from the DCs really have helped me have perspective this week. I will miss this thread (not that we can't keep it going with our WIPs, but YKWIM).

Talking of big business, how did The Presentation of the Year go Trib?

Minnie, many of my family are businessy types too. I seem to have missed that gene however, I realised that what I do is of value and success shouldn't be measured in financial terms a wee while ago.... At the point it was starting to do my head in, thank goodness. They earn more - so what? They couldn't do what I do and vice versa so no point beating myself or them up about it ( occasionally tempting though )

You do something of great value: I suspect the young people you work with think so too. And there lies the success.

Minnie - the Presentation of the Year was successful, thank god, despite the best efforts of some of the admin staff to it up for me. It was a presentation to a rather important board and they had specifically asked that the 'must read' papers be kept to a minimum, with any supporting materials clearly signposted within a separate folder. So my support person and I diligently arranged it just so and I got an email from the director literally as the board meeting was starting saying 'why are there hundreds of pages of 'must read' papers when the board asked for this to be kept to a minimum??' I was totally horrified as I realised that whoever had zipped the folders up to email them out had taken it upon themselves to move half a dozen large documents into the 'must read' folder without asking me. I was completely wrong-footed and have yet to receive an apology :( :( One board member had actually declined to attend because she couldn't get through the paperwork - not just mine but even so.

The landlord thing is pretty stressful. I use an agency, which helps, but it's not great. I don't particularly mind the business aspects of it but the flat is 200 miles away so it just creates aggro.

It's fantastic that you're doing the kind of job you want to do, not stuck in a job which might superficially look more successful but which doesn't fulfil you. Never confuse money with worth!

Thanks guys. I don't even want loads of money just a new kitchen and maybe a newer car thanks but I suppose there's this Apprentice-style idea that ambition is the bees-knees and be-all and end-all for everyone. I want to be the best counsellor and knitter I can be, and that is enough .

And you're right Knotty, my family would be utterly crap at counselling. My mum would just say 'FFS, is that it? Just stop moaning and get on with it'

Trib that's shocking. Are you going to make a formal complaint? Glad it went well despite their efforts.

Hello all, this is the New York branch of the Blanketeers reporting for duty. Pistey kindly sent me the instructions last week, and I have some pretty little little squares ready to go (Pistey, can you please PM me your address, or wherever they need to go?)

I'm an ex-knitter just getting back to grips with wool and needles, and really enjoying it after a long 20 plus year break (and the fact that my hands are too busy to pick up my wine glass as often as usual).

I know some of you are on Pistey's FB with me, but I'm not sure who is who

Hello to the New York Branch of the Blanketeers

I shall PM you, but will say for someone who is 'just getting back to grips' with knitting, you are doing incredibly well indeed, absolutely gorgeoise squares.

trib - that all sounds extraordinary and dreadful. Really sorry, that was shite.
And i couldn't agree more about value and success not being measured in financial terms. Too right.

Right New York, this is London calling.....

Morning my lovelies - I have been horrendously behind on my entire life after spending 96 hours in the mud, and had to ignore MN for a whole week. But I am back now and can report that I managed to sling together two squares last week. A rather impressive dog tooth effort I am quite smug with, which doesn't begin to make up for the terrible heart effort I made for the other one. Knotty I suggest that can be a back up square - its really pants.

Smug NewYorker - I am the red hat!

Welcome NeitherShredded. I'm the supplier of tablet on Pistey's FB. I also only started knitting again a year and a half ago after a c.20 year break (and without my mum to give me guidance any more, although initially she was able confirm a few wee things). I've since progressed from a simple rib scarf for ds to a simple jumper with lots of mistakes to Icelandic knitting in the round, cable knitting and then lacy yarn-over/psso effects. Doing the squares is a great way of practicing techniques. It does come back - and if in doubt, the Internet is a great help!

Hello, Neither, I have initials PA and recently posted about Olympic rowing in Pistey's wall!

This is the apple tree pattern Minniebar linked to. You need to subscribe to be able to download it - although there's no cost.

The pattern prints out ridiculously small, so you need to blow up the chart bit to be able to decipher it or maybe that is just my aging eyes

Casting on 33 stitiches and then working the central bit of the pattern (the extra stitches you make once the you start knitting the branches are "compenstated" for by the cabling), making the trunk only about 10 rows long works out OK for a 6" square. You need to watch the decreases at the top of the tree - because they are "outwith" the central bit of the pattern that you are following, it's easy to miss doing them.

The other thing I'd recommend is doing it in a lighter coloyur than dark forest green, so that it is easier to see where you are in the row or maybe that's my eyes again - especially as you are not following the pattern exactly.

Oops - wrong thread - that was for mothmagnet on the other thread.

:o prettybird!

Pistey, if you see this, have you received my squares? I've not seen my name on the threads yet.

From the other thread:

KnottyLocks Sat 30-Jun-12 14:59:42
Woolly Arrivals today from:
[...]
without a name:

4 snugglies in cream, blues and minty green from North of the boarder. Anyone claiming them?

Glaikit, was this you?

Newwww york, concrete jungle where hugs are knitted, let's hear it for Newwwww York...

Er, I'm not on Pistey's FB [paranoid] but I am a fan of the Wooly Hugs page (of course) - and on PinotMN's FB, initials JGS if anyone wants to be mates.

Hello everyone Applauds Minnie.

I don't think those are Glaikit's squares, I have sent a message to the lovely Blanketeer I think sent those, but not heard back yet, but I may well be wrong.

But... I have some other unnamed ones that haven't been claimed, they arrived the other day, two green lovelies and a super cream basket weave type knit. Their arrival was announced, if you check back, not sure when. But these are so far unclaimed

I might well be wrong Babs!

Nope they aren't mine. one pale pink on the bias with a darker pink corner (ran out of wool). And an apple green made up by me boat, that looks like n upside down mushroom or onion according to this lot