But a friend of a friend is. She has two babies, one a little younger than the Squish, and one less than a year old. SHe thought she had a blocked duct, but it’s an aggressive cancer, and she is currently undergoing chemotherapy. Apparently, there is a 90% chance that she will still be alive in five years time.

So after dealing with a metric buttload of misery myself in the past few weeks, I am taking up my knitting in earnest. I am going to knit two chemo caps for two people who need something warm and beautiful on their heads, and I am going to go easy on myself for just a little while, and take the time to knit some love and healing.

Last week, a package came from America. A stunning shawl, knit with love from a dear friend who couldn’t be here to hug me. I wish I had a picture to do it justice, but Cecelia, your shawl has become my lucky shawl. I wore it when I went to have my mammogram done on Tuesday.

There is still a few glitches (can’t leave blog comments), but I have my calendar back, and I have all my blog feeds! Normality is resuming, and I adore my husband. Not just for his good looks!

And tonight is results night. Pizza and red wine are on the menu, my friend Dionne is coming from Newcastle with her kids, and we are going to cover the kitchen in flour and dough while we wait for those crucial text messages. Dionne was in my environmental peace unit, so we are supporting each other.

And tomorrow I am teaching small children to knit. Give me strength!

And here is a picture of a small boy playing an orange ukelele.

I’m going again this year – without Mark and Inigo, who will both be at the zoo, cleverly arranged by Mark’s work.

If you’d like to come along, there is more info on Sally’s Blog. Thanks to Sally for being the driving force behind this for a few years, Kris for kicking it off, and Margot for taking the baton and running with it.

So, my mate Miriam is having another baby (she is mama to Inigo’s best friend Oscar, they were born 4 days apart), and I want to knit her something special. Both of us wanted girls first time around, and now Miriam is expecting a much wanted girl. Often second babies get a little neglected in the special handknit items tally, so I gave Miriam a choice of two patterns, both a little special.

I am in love with this yarn, gorgeous colours, amazing drape, and really, really lovely to knit with. So I found this pattern, which uses an unusual cabled construction, and I think is adorable.

The other choice I offered was a cute little cardi with a dachshund on it – and the pattern is raising funds for a little dog to have her leg fixed.

Miriam has chosen the puppy cardi, and three colours of Bendigo Classic 12 ply – 744 Ginger (for the dog), 747 Lipstick Rose (for the body), and 704 Blueberry for the trim.

Can’t wait to finish the never ending Mr Greenjeans, and cast on

And the ringlets bounce as he runs up and down the hall. We nearly died from the cuteness.

Now, instead of going to the AGM, I’m off to ride a steam train with Iggy and his best mate.

Inigo’s sleep issues continue, and of course he fell asleep in the car, only to be woken up and adored, which rather upset his equilibrium.

And being the evil woman that I am, I took pictures.

Isn’t Marley adorable?

Any takers?

A few years ago I admired Kate’s version of this pattern, and a few months ago I bought the pattern. On Friday I bought some yarn that might do (it needs a 10 ply cotton on 5.5ml needles), and on Sunday (with expert help – thanks Pom Pom and Gussetting!), I cast on a sleeve as a swatch.

Today, I got out the measuring tape, and what seems obvious to the eye was well and truly proven by the tape. Its huge. My gauge is perfect, but the size of the thing is enormous. The sizes are for a 40, 48, 56 or 64″ bust. I have a bust that is a shade shy of 50″, but the pattern suggests going up a size for wearing as a jacket, so I cast on the 56″ size, which would mean the upper sleeve would have a positive ease of 4 full inches. Perhaps a wee bit too big.

So I’ll knit the 48″ instead, and happily I don’t have to frog my swatch, just rewrite my pattern notes.

What’s next? Making beating children illegal?

So of course I must knit something for her. My standard baby gift is a cotton hat, a simple pattern, machine washable, cute, and useful (I hope!).

This particular friend fell in love with a man from the Pacific. And many jokes have been made about head size, especially in relation to this baby, and his imminent birth. Since he will be born in the Northern hemisphere spring, I also thought that a larger hat would be useful for longer. So, a larger hat was cast on.

How big?

Big enough to fit the resuscitation dummy at our First Aid for Parents course on the weekend