I've been up to London....

Where I met a Duchess and got frisked six times! And that is just for starters................  For the past week and a bit I have been in London undergoing training for my role as a Games Maker for the Paralympic Games.  So much has gone on, some ordinary and some unbelievable, that I might just turn this into a serial.....

Day One Saturday:  It is important to remember that this was a very wet, windy and very COLD day.  After discovering that our first choice of Underground Station didn't have lift to access the platform we went to choice two - Hainault (here I am assuming that the name derives from Phillippa of Hainault the wife of Edward III and mother of one of my distant ancestors John of Gaunt!) this did have a lift and information suggest that the gap between the train and the platform was manageable.  At 10am having purchased two Oyster Cards we travelled to Stratford Station and join the throng making its way towards the Olympic Park.

First stop Accreditation where we had to wait for Mr S to get let in as my Support Worker - but with our pics taken and sealed forever in plastic we then had to go back out and down the road to the entrance proper (remember it is raining and very cold) then we had to queue for security - we actually out-numbered security at first, but after causing our usual chaos there was quite a queue..... this was frisk number one!

Now I had been informed that there would be a buggy service running for 'the disabled' as Eton Manor (the venue for Wheelchair Tennis) was on the other side of the park, approximately 1500 metres (nearly a mile in old money).  No buggies to be seen - man with radio was sent for and eventually after about 15 mins hanging around in the cold and rain a buggy appeared - now the fun began! 

Remember that I had just travelled on the Underground which goes at some speed in my wheelchair unrestrained - now for a golf-type buggy with a top speed less than walking pace they wanted to tie down my chair - other passengers just sit - me I am supposed to have my legs tied (figuratively speaking that is) - after some debate we set off - me un-tethered and suprise I didn't fall out.......

I don't want you to think that this was luxury - this buggy doesn't have sides, just a canopy, and by this time it was raining heavily and getting colder, sorry to keep harping on about the cold and wet, but I am just trying to set the scene!  We arrived at Eton Manor and had to make our way to the entrance, that is down the slope past Centre Court and around to the other side of the main building!  Here at least we were indoors - and were given a railcard, two t-shirts and a waterproof coat - all with the London Prepares Logo on the back - and offered a hot drink, things were looking up!! 

After the pep talk we were taken on a venue tour - here I should have stayed put indoors, but out into the rain we went and were walked around the site - I expect it will be lovely when the sun shines in early September, but on this wet April Saturday it was gloomy and COLD.  For the rest of the afternoon we went through our roles (more of this later) in the coldest room possible and in damp clothes!  We finished around 6pm-ish, but the buggy drivers went home at 4.30pm and it was still raining hard!  After about half an hour when no transport was forthcoming a lovely guy offered to drive me to Stratford Station - the car had a heater!!!  After running the gauntlet of security and getting lost, because everyday there is a change in access and we couldn't go out of the usual gate, we ended up at Stratford International - onto the DLR to Stratford, then to Platform 6 (which required the use of two lifts) and the tube to Hainault - we got back to the caravan just after 8pm and consumed a bottle of red and a pizza!

The saga continues.....................Day Two was Monday.

Swatching! Who needs to?

Found out to my cost that swatching is really important.  I had found a pattern done in Aran yarn for a Union Jack cushion - it supposed to be done in a King Cole (acrylic uck!) yarn and I needed it to be 100% English wool.  I was fortunate enough to find some lovely natural Jacobs yarn (not cheap, but very nice) in an Aran weight and I dyed it.  Great cast on and knitted the front - then I thought that does look a little on the large size - it was supposed to come up 18 inches and I was working with a size smaller needles to get it down to 16 inches - the requirement for the Woolsack project - give or take an inch!

Its come out a whopping 25 inches square and it hasn't been sewn properly or blocked yet!   And unsurprisingly I have run out of yarn!!  So do I frog it or buy more yarn?  Guess I buy and dye up some more yarn and finish it off, but that means that I still have to make a proper Union Jack cushion for the project - I did promise it and I can't welch on a promise......

The good news is I have a reprieve - cushions for the Paralympians can be stuff at Fibre East in July - dramtically wipes beads of sweat from forehead - and this cushion is for our top tennis star!

On the tennis theme I have got tickets for Wimbledon - three days!  Centre Court for Ladies Quarter Finals, really wanted the Wednesday for the Men's!  Also got tickets for the Friday and Sunday so that I can see the Wheelchair event..

This Friday I am off to London for more training as a Games Maker and the Test Event for the Wheelchair Tennis at Eton Manor over the Bank Holiday weekend.  I am a Sport Statistician and I get training for my role this coming weekend so should have more idea what I am expected to do then! By the way the shift hours are 8.30am to 7pm - hope that I get a break at some time!!!!!!!    

I think that I get to collect my uniform as well, we get a jacket, polo shirt, trousers, trainers, socks, cap, bag, water bottle and an umbrella which we get to keep if we complete the games - but if they think that I am wearing a cap......................

 

Hooked, but not on Crochet

I have become hopelessly hooked on designing patterns for shawls. I did have a 'go' last year and found that it wasn't as easy as I had thought, but a friend suggested rather than writing out a pattern, to just start knitting and see what happens - well I did and found that it is very addictive - sounds silly but I can't wait to see how an idea turns out..

First I knitted lots of little swatches with lots of YO and K2tog in a variety of combinations and as you can see just a slight alteration and the pattern is quite different - honest!















The first design is now blocking and I am delighted with the outcome and am currently knitting the second April Showers Shawl, this time from the charts that I created from my knitting.














Question - If its your own pattern how come you still make silly mistakes? I don't have an answer, but I did have to unpick several rows because I had missed a yarn over!

Got in front of myself

Been frantically rushing around to get everything together for the Craft Fair on Saturday - only to find yesterday that I am ahead of myself! Set up a mock table and only managed to squeeze about half of the items into the space which means that I can now relax a bit.....

Mr S bought me this instead of an Easter Egg! It was to cheer me up as I won't be able to go to Wonderwool this year..... because I shall be at Elton Manor as a Games Maker for the Wheelchair Tennis Test Event in preparation for the Paralympics in September. The Wheelchair Tennis runs from September 1st until the 8th so you might get to see me on the TV!





















That meant that my sheep collection grew by two in the last week as my friend's daughter gave me this lovely back pack.
















All this reminds me that I still have Peter Norfolk's cushion to knit for the Woolsack project - he wants a Union Jack cushion and I have found a pattern in Aran, for which I have dyed up the red and blue, so it shouldn't take too long - especially if I get it cast-on!

All I ever seem to do is moan!

Reading back over the last few weeks it seems that I have done nothing but rant and moan! I'm really not that bad, but if something really annoys then better out than keep it in than let it fester......that's what my grandfather always used to say anyway!


Well here's another little moan - I bought 3 balls of a very well known brand of yarn to make a simple cowl - it had cashmere in the blend and it was very soft - that's probably enough clues - and in every ball there was a knot, one was less than a metre and a half from the start of the ball, just hidden and in the other two the knots were further in. When you pay nearly £5 for a 50 gram ball of yarn that says it is 85 metres - I expect to get 85 metres, not 80 metres and another five after a knot - nuff said, rant over.

For the last few days I have been dyeing, lots of dyeing! I resolved that after some pretty poor results with ready mixed colours that I would go back to basics and the primaries. Nothing to do with the Americna electoral system - primary colours!

I have bought two reds, one bright and one soft, two blues, again bright and soft, two yellows (bright and soft) and black, and so that I can make even more shades a magenta (fuschia) and a turquoise - that's it the basics, just like a colour printer! It isn't a quick method, well not at first, because you have to mix up all your dye stock - that's 500ml of each, but once you have those the rest is easy and repeatable, just as long as you keep notes and I am, copious and meticulous ones.

And look what I dyed today (still drying) on the radiator!





















There are a couple that aren't exactly what I hoped to get, but mostly I am dead chuffed with the results!

Here are some earlier attempts













As you can see I am trying to get away from pink, just had to slip one in for luck!

I know how difficult my life is!

Over the last few weeks several people - ordinary people that can walk - have very carefully explained to me (sat in a wheelchair) how difficult it is to get around in a wheelchair! The first time this happened I was so surprised that I didn't say a thing - I was gob-smacked to be honest..

Again on Friday when I was in Bath - a woman with a perfectly serious face said, and I quote 'It is very difficult to get around Bath in a wheelchair', not is it? but It is - really I'd never have known if she hadn' told me! Actually I do know I have tried to get around the centre of Bath and believe me it isn't easy! But do I need a complete stranger to tell me this? No I don't! Mr S says that she didn't really mean it that way, but that's exactly what she said and it riled me. Just like Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall did when he became a vegetarian for six months and spent several programmes telling everyone how it was possible to have a meal without meat and then rather condenscendingly showed a lifelong veggie how to make a veggie meal...... how we all managed before Hugh I don't know.....

I digress - back to the shabby way that the disabled are treated. For example in Wells (Somerset) (Again this is an old city and definitely built before wheelchairs, not an easy place to get around - lack of drop kerbs is a major factor and shops with steps and no ramp is a bug-bear.) I went into a wool shop to be confronted with a sets of steps to main shop - the assistant ask me what I wanted -(not can I help you?)! Well I had gone in there to possibly buy some wool - in a wool shop what a surprise! When I said that I was looking for yarn and pointed out that I couldn't actually get into the main part of the shop she shrugged her shoulders and turned away! What a way to treat a potential customer - but then people in wheelchairs shouldn't go shopping on their own - now should they?

Re-reading this is does sound a bit of a rant, but consider the last time steps in a shop stopped you getting from getting around. I don't expect to get everywhere that an able body person can - but I do expect to be treated with the same courtesy. Life in a wheelchair does require a lot more organisation - you don't just pop out on a whim - some forward planning is needed to avoid wasted journeys, especially if think the venue might have a problem - so you check before you go - get me a mantra - not 'try before you buy', but 'check before you go' - this could catch on!

For example on Easter Saturday I have a table at a Craft Fair - but before I booked I checked out the venue - was accessable - yes it was and so Mr S and I will be there selling - this is a first and a bit scary, but it will be an experience and that's what life is all about!

Gone Live......

After a rather fraught week I have finally gone live with my new shop at http://www.thesassyspinner.co.uk/shop/.

I decided to start with a few select items, but I will be having regular updates and adding new lines weekly. On the drawing board I have a simple needle roll for dpns (double pointed needles)and circular needles and a bag in a bag which I hope to have completed in the next month.

Currently I some beautiful sparke yarn which would be perfect for small shawls dyed up in repeatable colours and some one offs in self-striping sock yarns in superwash wool.

My needle tip clutch made under the Bags4Ewe banner is also there, but as these are rather a personal item I prefer to make these to specific requirements. The generic version is available, and I have made two with the optional numbers (US sizes only, as I can't get the 'UK' millimetres to fit the space).




















I am particularly please with my Lizzie Bag which I think makes a perfect project bag for sock size knitting - and this one with knitting sheep is a favourite of mine! Due soon one with knitting cats!!!



















A larger version the Betty Bag will added in the next week or so.

And Mr S is making buttons, nostepinnes, yarn bowls and spindles, can't have him slacking now can I?