Gosh it has been a long time since I've posted - ten days. I started a new medication a week ago that was working fine. My doctor wondered if I might have IBS and since the medicine was working I felt relieved to know what had been wrong.

I went back for a checkup on Friday and the results of my blood tests were in. Turns out that I'm also slightly anemic so I was prescribed iron tablets for a month. However they don't agree with me and I've been feeling dreadful all day.

At the moment I feel like I just can't get a break. I have to increase my iron intake and now it seems that for the moment I'll have to do it by diet alone. I'll be calling the chemist tomorrow to see if there's anything I can do to keep taking the iron tablets but they do just seem to be making my stomach problems worse.

Have done a little more knitting. Started the toe of the second Regia 5047 last Friday and am now on the leg.

Next Saturday will mark eleven years since Andy and I started going out together. I was hoping to finish off one of the shirts I've been making for him today but didn't feel well enough.

Here's hoping I feel better tomorrow! :-)

posted by Marie Irshad at 2:44 PM

I just fixed the last few posts. I'd posted them via email and they don't seem to word wrap.

I have a lovely bruise on my right arm from having some blood taken today. I have a mixed sort of skintone. In some areas my skin is almost translucent, in others it's quite dark. When my grandmother was alive she used to think I hadn't washed the back of my neck because it was darker than my face. In the translucent areas it's hard to find a vein.

Knitting - still on the Regia cuff. I had thought I'd get a lot done while waiting at the clinic but only managed just over a half round before it was time to see the nurse.

After reading about Bonne Marie's trip to Lorna's Laces I really want some of their yarn! Not that I need any more yarn of course but the colours look beautiful.

Despite feeling crappy we visited IKEA in Bristol on Monday and I bought some more bookcases. I hope to organise my crafting books and magazines and make more room in my craft room for the various fabrics and yarns that are piled everywhere. At least my bead stash doesn't take up much space. I have that in some little drawers meant for screws and things, which Andy hung on the wall for me. I picked them up at B&Q for about £5 each and also use them for storing threads and buttons.
posted by Marie Irshad at 10:43 AM

Well I'm now into my Thirties. I turned 31 yesterday. Well you can't stop time! :-) I haven't bought any yarn as a pressie yet but I have treated myself to a subscription and some back issues of Spinoff. I also bought a couple of books from Borders in Bristol yesterday - Folk Mittens by Marcia Lewandowski and Sweater Design in Plain English by Maggie Righetti.

I completed my Regia Mini Ringel sock on Sunday and the leg part is the longest I've done so far. It's too long really as the ribbing is not very comfortable although it's fine if I push the sock down a bit. I'm not sure if I'll frog a four couple of inches and make it shorter or if I'll wear it as a slouch sock. I'm also at the ribbing of my other Regia sock. No pictures just yet as my stomach has been very painful since Sunday. Not feeling like doing anything much at the mo. Having some blood tests done tomorrow to see what's wrong.

posted by Marie Irshad at 2:30 PM

Yes I'm still around! I've just been busy preparing for a party that we're having on Saturday. Tidying the house and organising has taken over my knitting and blogging time. So much so in fact that I'm still on the first Regia sock. I am now on the ribbed cuff - only about an inch to go. But this sock has taken twice as long as usual because I've really only been knitting it during my lunch.

It's my both my Mum's and my friend Hannah's birthday today, so congrats to them. I'm a Gemini and I seem to know loads of them.

posted by Marie Irshad at 2:26 PM

I've turned the heel of the Regia Ringel sock and am now on the leg. I'll try and take a photo of it tomorrow. I've also been busy in the garden tidying it up. We've bought some solar powered garden lights and have placed one in a flower bed. It looks a bit eerie at night since it has a blue glow like a TV!



posted by Marie Irshad at 4:38 PM

So tired today, have to make sure I get an early night.

I've done a little work on the Regia Ringel sock. Still making up my mind about the colours - as usual! - but have found the stripes a little addictive! It's always "just one more stripe"! So it shouldn't be long before I'm on the heel.

Haven't the touched the Art Fibers cardi - it's really boring work. If only I could sit down and work out how to do steeks - I could then knit it in the round, it would go so much faster.
posted by Marie Irshad at 2:21 PM

From left to right - Lana Grossa Viale shade 302 and India shade 10

I bought these yarns because they just look so beautiful. I saw a sweater knitted from India in this shade in Frau Wollen and was completely bewitched by it. I don't like knitting with ribbon yarns so I don't know if I'll actually have garments made from these to wear this summer. But they're so pretty to look at! :-)
posted by Marie Irshad at 3:12 PM

I'm now on the toe of the first Regia 5219 sock. I gave on the figure eight cast on in favour of my usual easy toe. I've still been plugging away on the Art Fibers cardi working on it while on the bus into work and during my lunch hour. It's still very slow going since I'm knitting the two fronts and back in one piece.

Tomorrow I'll see if I can post pictures of the two ribbon yarns I bought in Berlin. I was looking through one of my pattern binders last night and think that I might use the India ribbon to make this.
posted by Marie Irshad at 4:11 PM

I'm halfway through casting off the second Opal 235 sock. Course before I'd got to that point I decided I'd like to cast on for my next pair! However trying to match up the two skeins of the Regia Crazy Color drove me...well...crazy! So I've decided that my next pair will be in Regia Mini Ringel 5219, that wasn't too bad to match up.

I also decided that I'd like to try the figure eight cast on but it is proving difficult. I've had a couple of attempts and find that my stitches are really loose in the middle. Not a little loose but ridiculously loose. I need to practice a bit more but I really want to make some headway into the toe tonight. If I really can't do it then I'll have to go back to my usual easy toe instead. That uses a crochet temporary cast on and involves picking up stitches, if I can master the figure eight it make life a lot easier.

I'm also considering knitting some Koigu socks. I see beautiful ones knitted up everywhere but I do wonder how they wear? Also they'd have to be handwashed which I'm not very keen on.
posted by Marie Irshad at 1:58 PM