Update on yesterdays post dated 29th June 2011

Hi,
Yesterday I said that I would let you know what has been happening, its a long story but I will try and keep it short,
I had a mole removed which I think I told you about, well her sewing up let a lot to be desired, I had the stitches out last Thursday. I went to have my pre-op assessment for my op on Friday and then went shopping, during the afternoon the hole popped open. Vernon took me to Shepton Hospital where they dressed it and said they wanted to see me every two days, nothing was said about me going on holiday.
On Saturday when I got back from Cheese and Grain in Frome, my back was very sore Vernon had another look only to find it was bleeding again, he took me back to Shepton Hospital. This time I had different nurse and she was horrible, she told me that I could not go on holiday and had to have permission from my GP, and it would take 8 weeks to heal and would not be able to have my Op and to go straight to my surgery.
To say the least I was upset, we went to our doctors surgery on Monday, they dressed it and would let us know about travelling. Last night we went back again and Beth has said that I can travel, you can't travel with stitches in but I don't have any stitches as the hole has popped open and they cant re-stitch it up once it has had stitches in. She is teaching Vernon how to redress the hole, it has started to heal and she does not see any reason if it continues to heal that the op will go ahead on the 11th July.
We are away from one week and will be back on the 9th July, I have looked forward to this holiday for a very long time, so I will be able to relax by the lake and have a rest of course taking my tatting with me while I relax, ready for the op.
Thanks for visiting my blog today and until we meet again take care
Hugs
Margaret

Bethanys bookmark

Hi,
The sun is shining and its quite a nice day OK theres a bit more cloud now but hopefully my washing will dry.
I am not feeling very good today and very down, I have an appointment at the doctors surgery later then I will tell what has been happening. Its getting to be a long saga now with this mole scar.
I thought I would show you the bookmark that I made for my grand daughter Bethany, she wants to learn tatting, but at the moment I don't feel well enough, but as soon as I am well enough I will buy her a shuttle and thread and get her started off.
This bookmark is from Tatting in Lace by Mary Konior and called Wrought Iron, I made it from Turkish thread Altin Basak no 3053 with glass pearls in the middle of the onion rings.
I hope you are keeping well and look forward to seeing you again, many thanks for visiting my blog today.
Hugs
Margaret

Better late than never, Fathers Day Card

Hi,

What a weekend, its been a busy one for us and the weather for once has been lovely, hot but already today we have had rain and forecasted thunderstorms have not yet arrived.

With Glastonbury finishing today and everyone heading home, the roads are now busy, It was another mud bath and it rained and rained, but yesterday the sun came out and then they fried in the hot sun. The site is as big as the city of Bath with 170,000 people all living in tents or for the very rich posh accommodation yes posh tents, or you could even have a wigwam, not me sorry I want to bit more than a tent. There will not be one next year as Mr Eavis wants to let the land rest, what a lot of visitors don't realise it is a working farm and until a few weeks before they arrive the fields have four legged residents of cows.

Everything seems to be going wrong at the moment we had a quite day in Cheese and Grain on Saturday, Vernon again did my craft table I am only allowed to sit and do technical!
When I sent Vernon's Dad his card I forgot to take a picture of it, we went up to see him yesterday and here's the pictures of his card. The image is a shaped card from the Joanne Sheen CD The Royal Horticultural Society Collection CD, its a lovely CD and has some beautiful images of flowers and shaped cards. I put a few garden tools in inside, along with curtains and some acetate for a window. I did add a key hang up for the shed to be locked up. There was not much room to add too much, but he liked his card and said it was unusual. Its difficult to find different things every time. I also used this card for Vernon's best friend whose birthday was at the beginning of June.

I have now got my date for my op, and I had my pre-op assessment last Friday, I will let you know nearer the time when it is. The mole scar had its stitches out last Thursday but has now opened up and now they are having to treat it with a seaweed type of dressing, I hope it is healed by the time we go on holiday this weekend and will be OK when I come back and have my op. I have treated myself to a new dressing gown and slippers so I am sort of ready. We have are doubts are the moment but I will let you know more as the week goes on. Life just getting a bit much at the moment.

Well that's it for today, I hope you are keeping well and until we meet again take care

Hugs

Margaret

Tatted Ribbon Strips

Hi,
Not a very good morning weather wise, and of course its going to rain its Glastonbury this weekend, It always amazes me they called it Glastonbury but actually Worthy Farm is in a village called Pilton, a few miles away from Glastonbury. Although the many visitor's who flock to see the music festival have become older and now its not quite so hippy as it was they have some very posh visitors in their expensive cars. We are far enough not to hear the festival but the traffic will be bad today as most arrive today, its not too bad while they are there until Monday and when they leave usually with a lot of mud trialling behind them. Some years ago there was a petrol station near to the site and it had been very wet, while I was filling the car up, my mother watch in amazement this visitor took off his muddy boots, washed his feet from the car wash and put his muddy boots back on. I am glad I don't have to wash their clothes when they get home. I hope they have enjoyable time this year, the police are as always busy and have new ways this year of catching the drug uses.
Today I bring you some tatted ribbon strips, it was Suzanne who gave me the idea seeing that many card makers are using lace on their cards, she wondered if tatting could be used, which of course it could be. These strips are 5½ inches long and 1¼ wide, they could be made longer or narrower. I have put these two sets in my esty store, I can do most colours if requested, it just a question of what a card marker would like, Tatting cannot be cut so making them to the lengths required, they could be made in shorter lengths or longer according to what is required.
I hope you like the new ideas and I am looking forward to seeing any comments which are always appreciated.
Until we meet again in blog land take care
Hugs
Margaret

Parchment Show Bristol, 19th June 2011

Hi,
Yesterday I was not feeling too bad, I had a good day with not much pain, the stitches are still in hopefully they will be out on Friday, Vernon took me to the Parchment Show in Bristol. The weather was supposed to be better than Saturday, we had a lot of heavy showers on Saturday, it did stay fine a lot longer than forcasted. These are some of the photos I took I have selected the best of the 70 plus photos I took, I hope you enjoy looking at them as much I did taking them. There is only one thing when you go to shows you spend a lot of money, but I did find some lovely things, and I am sure they will not be wasted, may have to sit and waited until I get around to using them.
I am still learning parchment, the form of art is very delicate and takes a lot of practice. Their is so much that can be made in Parchment, these are just some of the things from the show.

This is a picture of Jewellery made in parchment, Vernon did make a comment when he was looking at them, he does not think they would last very long, they are very delicate, so I think it would be only worn once, for a special occasion.

Baby cradles and prams, this cradle actually rocks.

Flowers in Parchment including the leaves, I brought the pattern for the lilies so one day I will be trying to make these.




A slice of cake anyone?????? Calorie free made from parchment

Wedding car, complete with ribbons.

Pavilion




This picture has 3d flowers made from a punch, and the font is printed from a computer and then embossed onto the centre of the picture. The lady sat at this table where this was said it was easy!

These photos as just a selection of beautiful cards on show. The peacock is really beautiful, oh how I love to be able to make it, They say it is practice, and I am sure after many of years I might just be able to do it.

This beautiful picture was made by one lady who loves lace work, she was telling me that she had a special pair of glasses made by her optician so they were magnified by 3 times so she can do this very lacy work, this picture had gem stones in each of the circles and was framed. A truly beautiful piece of parchment.

Fan, are you hot! this beautiful fan and stand were both made in parchment and was a show stopper.

I really enjoyed the few hours we had at the show, even Vernon enjoyed it, he was watching so that no one push my back, We meet a lady called Carol who with her Friend sat at our table to drink there coffee, (I was naughty I had a piece of carrot cake) Carol has her our blog link here, we got talking and exchanged blog address, Carol was amazed about my mole and could not believe that what started as a sample ended up with the whole mole being taken out without even asking me. I hope Carol had a lovely day and had a safe journey back to Farnham.

I meet Christine Coleman and Tina Cox and had a conversation with both, Tina Cox was on Ideal world a few months ago, she only has one hand but is still able to do such wonderful designs, I saw her do the some cut work which I tried after watching her, and I told her that if she can do it with one hand then I must be able to do the same with two. She cut the crosses in one block before turning the parchment around to do the other sides, I have found this much easier than turning the parchment around and around to do each cross. There was so many designers that I am sorry I cant tell you designed what in the photos, they all were amazing designs. If you ever get a chance to see a parchment show do go and have a look the workmanship and hours that have been put into making these creations are simply amazing.

Still no date for my op, its getting a bit much now, as soon as I have a date I will post it.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing the pictures, and until we meet again in blog land take care.

Hugs

Margaret

I don't think I could take any more

Hi,

No pictures today, I have had enough and can't take any more, Apart from still waiting for the op, hopefully I might have a date soon. I have pain in my left shoulder and arm to the point I have had trouble moving it, lifting anything, that I am having physio on it. Now the physio has told me that its the gall bladder that is causing the pain, it was proved a week ago when I had a very bad with pain from the gall bladder and the arm and shoulder just played hell and I could not even use it.
I went to Frome Hospital on Tuesday to check out my mole which they have been keeping an eye on. This time I saw a different doctor who said it had not grown but there was a white spot in the middle and she wanted to take a sample. Fine as its on my back and should be healed by the time we go to Italy in July.
She numbed it and then poked about with it and then I heard Vernon (my husband) say is that all of it, and its a big hole. Laying on my tummy and not being able to see what was going on. Instead of the sample she had taken the whole mole, fine one less thing to worry about, not that I was worried. She then tried stitching it up , she changed needles several times and moaned about the needles, Vernon said he could have done a better job and finally I had 4 stitches. She said it would come back to life in a couple of hours, by the time I got back to the car, my husband drove to Sainburys the other side of Frome about 2 miles, it had bleed though the dressing on my top and had started to hurt. By the time we got home 6 miles it was hurting like hell and has not stopped hurting, that's nearly two days ago and I still feel very sore and it hurts a lot, yesterday I had a wet patch on my top, and I cant lean on my back. I have rang the surgery this morning for help, the dressing should be changed today, hopefully they might to that for me.
Now today I have a dentist appointment I hope she does not do anything don't think I could take anymore, and in the post this morning a letter to say I am due a ladies screening test. Is there anything else they can do to me??
I hope you are keeping well,
Take care until we meet again in blog land.
Hugs
Margaret

Button's win in Canada (F1)

Hi,
We were feeling so sad yesterday see the last post, that F1 brought little bit of joy yesterday.
After a very long race, I cant believe that our local boy has at last won a F1, if you did not watch the race you miss a brilliant end. It was raining outside here and there is was raining in Canada, and when I say rain it was rain the track was flooded and the race stopped, for over an hour everyone just waited. Its beginning to get boring with Vetel winning all the races but not yesterday first we were on BBC 1 5pm then the schedule was changed and they stayed with the race, at 9pm we had to go to BBC2 and oh boy was I glad I did. The finish was the best part of the whole race, at one point Jenson was at the back, but with then coming in to change tyres and his overtaking he got up to 4th, then it was 3rd next he was 2nd and on the last lap he passed Vetel to be the winner.
Vernon was getting fed up with it it was just going on with no end in site, but as Jenson got to 4th he looked up, when he got to 3rd he began to take more notice when he got to 2nd Vernon was sitting on the edge of his chair by the time he was overtaking Vetel he was on the edge of his seat, I had been tatting that was put down by now, there was one great cheer in our house. Well Done Jenson keep it up lovely to see you on the podium I hope there will more this season.
The Bridge that has been built and named the Jenson Button Bridge is now finished and open in Frome, this was done and named because he won the world championship a couple of years ago. The Frome town cryer will no doubt be out on market day.
Well Done
Margaret

A Very Sad Weekend

Hi,

This is a very sad weekend, even the weather with high winds and pouring with rain this morning and it looks like its set for the day can't cheer us up.

Yesterday was a bad day this is Gussie a Belgium Griffon who sadly died yesterday, she was my Mothers dog at the age of 14 years old, with 7 years to each human life = she was 98, by the way my Mother is 89 this year. Gussie was also called Miss Pickle, her sister Gertie always seem to look after her, as well as looking after Mother she like a little mother hen (only she over weight and often called pudding). Gussie had an op last year to remove her eye that had gone, she was in pain and the vet decided that it was the best thing to remove her eye, she had got used to life with only one eye and no one really knew she had a missing eye unless they looked very hard. OK she occasionally bumped into things, quite often Gertie, amazing she would sit on her, walk on her but she never complained at her. She had recovered well and was running around like a two year old, she went down hill very fast and in the end it was kinder for vet to put her to sleep. The vet was wonderful yesterday and let mother hold her in her lap while she put the injection.

This is Haie today is the anniversary of her death, she died nine years at the age of 8. I only had her for three years in that time she had a tumor in her ear which the vet removed including her ear drum, so she only her one ear, they left the flap so no one knew she was deaf. Oh yes she was another pickle she would lie on her good ear so you could shout and shout, she just never heard. These pictures were taken in the garden I had before I moved in with my then future husband to be Vernon. One of her tricks was to get out and go down the road (across a main road) and arrive at mothers, when she opened the front door she would walk in stole down the hall to the kitchen and have a drink (my water was not good enough) I might add at that time I live at the bottom of Mother road on the main road, you could walk it in about 2 minutes, but my water was not good enough.

When we move in with Vernon she was not well and we thought it was the move that had upset her but four weeks later she was very ill and the vet took an x-ray to find tumors in her liver. She was then in pain and I had her put to sleep, a month later mothers dog then died. We went back to the kennels where we got our dogs and she had two sisters which mother had, they were from Haie's last litter. We can see Haie in both of them so shes always been with us.

Rest in Peace my loves

Hugs

Margaret

Network Pattern and My Orchid

Hi,

At the moment I am watching the weather, they say we are going to have rain but so far today my washing has been out and hopefully might get dry before the black clouds arrive and the heavens open. We had such beautiful weather in March and April and although I did manage to sit in the garden a couple of days last week, its not been so good this week.

I don't have much to bring you at the moment I have been working on something which was an idea from Suzanne but the pattern I did although I had not seen the original it is from something else and I have to start again, although Jane has said I can use it, I was going to name the pattern after Suzanne, so its back to the drawing board for something unique for her. Her son gets married tomorrow and I hope they have a lovely day and the weather is kind to them both. My congratulations are sent to both of them may they have many happy years together.
This doily I made years ago and I found it when I was emptying the units before we got the new furniture, I saved it for a day when I had nothing to post. Its from a book called Tatting with Visual patterns by Mary Konior, and the pattern was called Network. I know the cotton is by Coats and is a variegated pink. this is a close up for you.
Here is my Orchid now fully out in flower, I think I have already told you orchids are my favorite flower.

I am having physio now on my shoulder and arm, the left arm has been very painful and I can hardy use it at times, I had another session this morning, we were discussing how bad it was on Tuesday and how ill I was with the gall bladder pain, that the physio suddenly said that the two are connected in the back of her mind she is sure that people with gall bladder problems do have pain in the left shoulder, she given me some more exercises to do to get it or rather keep it working. I never did put the two together well why would I its different areas of the body.

I hope you are keeping well, and until we meet again in blog land take care

Hugs

Margaret

Knitted Tablecloths

Hi,

A few weeks ago someone and I cant remember who asked to see my knitted tablecloths, well here some of them are.

This was my first tablecloth and was knitted around the beginning of 1980, I found this pattern in the wool shop it had the doily, coffee table mat and then the tablecloth, thinking I would not be able to knit it I started with the doily and it grow and grow I just carried on knitting until I finished the cloth. I took a year on and off and was started with 8sts and ended up with 2,000 stitches and I had to use three circular needles as I was unable to get a very very long one. It was knitted with coats anchor cotton no 20 and took 13 balls.
This is a close up of the middle.

This cloth is a muiti brown and cream cotton again no 20 and I think it was DMC this was a German pattern from the Anna Magazine using a graph, German patterns are on graphs and not written out like the English pattern, once you master the graph they are easy to do.
Close up

This pale pink one was also knitted with coats cotton no 20 and was also a German pattern again from the Anna Magazine.

This long mat is my own design, I knitted it with no 20 cotton but it was a long time ago and I cant remember what cotton I used.

Close up of the pattern

The photos were done using the floor so they are not the best but hopefully shows the designs for you. I hope you have enjoyed this post I am knitting a cloth at the moment I am on round 154 and have around 750 stitches, not a lot more to knit it finishes on round 201 and around 1,152 stitches.

I hope you are enjoying this lovely sunshine we are having today, hopefully it will continue for a bit longer. I hope to find time to sit out in the sun before Vernon comes home and do a few more rounds of knitting, I promise when its finished I will post a photo.

I still cant leave comments on a lot of blogs, on some I found a way round but others it just wont let me, blogger say they are working on the problems, so far I have deleted all the cookies like they said and done a few more changes but so far nothing has worked. I hope they get this problem sorted out soon, I would like to say to Janette your card is beautiful and Nic sorry I still cant leave you any comments, and to anyone else that I have missed out I will catch up with you asap when its sorted.

Until we meet again take care

Hugs Margaret