SOCIETAL DESTRUCTION

I really enjoyed the dog show on Sunday. The judging went pretty much as I expected. Mary-Grace was not placed and Pussy came 3rd. It was the judges 1st appointment and I entered because I think it is only right and proper to give 1st timers a chance even though I was fairly confident that she would not appreciate my dogs. She didn't.

Although I find it very stressful to be among so many people I still enjoyed meeting people. I am beginning to enjoy the social aspect of the dog shows.

The weather had not been as forecast and instead it was wet and cold. As the day went on the rain stopped and it became warmer but it was still not very hot day promised. I am relieved that it was not. Home however was a very different matter as it was having the hottest weather in the British Isles! By the time I got home in the late afternoon it was still 30°C.

I may have written here a while ago that my doctor was leaving the medical practice that I attend. However, it turned out that I could follow her to her new practice. I have been to the new practice and it is completely unsuitable for me. It is small has very little parking, like half a dozen spaces, and is 6 miles from home. On top of that it appears that she is only going to be working 2 days a week. I have come to terms with the fact that she will no longer be my doctor.

This presents me with a problem. The practice I am with is a very popular one and all of the doctors have their capacity of patients. The doctor who has come to replace my doctor is not one I could have a good relationship with.

He is a fundamentalist Christian who takes the Bible literally. Not only do I have a problem with a medical doctor who is supposed to be a man of science, thinking in such a primitive way, but I definitely have a problem with having a doctor who sees me and my kind as evil and the cause of societal destruction. I do not believe I can have a good and constructive relationship with somebody who does not view me with positive regard from the outset.

I have to write in and request that John's Dr will take me on her list. I do not know if she will but I know that I already have a good relationship with this woman as I have worked closely with her with regard to John and getting him to take his COPD seriously. She is a very nice woman and I know does not think of us in a negative way.

The manager of the practice understands my position and reading between the lines I am fairly certain that she is on my side though of course she cannot say so. I do not know what is going to happen and of course I am worried about it. I need a doctor with whom I can have a good relationship you know as I am not a not often seen patient! I am high maintenance in that regard and will only become more so as my condition worsens.

Recently I have had quite a lot of difficulty with my hands and getting them to work properly. I do not understand how this connects to spinal arthritis and I am going to ask about that. A few days ago I was convinced that the problem I was having with my hands was because the circular needle I was using for knitting John socks was too short. I changed to my normal 80 cm length but it made no difference. It is hard to explain but it is as if the messages from my brain are not getting to my hands and my hands are working very slowly. Not exactly painful, just weird. I could not even open jars or bottles. It has gone away again now but I know that it is a recurring difficulty and I want to know why this happens. I am at least glad that it is not the circular needles because I have 6 pairs of Chiao Goo in 60 cm length! I find working with the 60 cm length to be much better as there is less cable to pull through.

HARVEY MILK SOCKS

Well, I finally finished them. Phew! I knitted them with a 75% wool 25% nylon yarn from THE WOOLHUNTER. I knitted them on Hiya Hiya 1.75mm needles. Mainly because I wanted the yarn to do something more interesting with it's beautiful colours. This is the best I could do. The grey swirls around and around but the black and orange still stripe! Due to the smaller gauge, these socks are shorter than I like. However, I am pleased with them overall. I like the pattern I used and will be using it to better effect, I think, on John's plain blue socks. I have named them after The assassinated San Francisco supervisor, Harvey Milk, who, like the pattern, did not take the easy, straight pathway and paid with his life but by so doing laid the path for others in the battle for freedom.
I knitted them using my toe up Andersson method with the Andersson heel Mach II (improved version.)
This is the pattern. Simple to do. I changed from 2x2 to 4x4 every 10 rows, but alternating where the 4 x4 lay.
EDIT: the pattern is only on the instep and front of leg. teh rear of leg is plain 2x2 rib. I used travelling sts to create the pattern, no increasing or decreasing. So, for example, after the first 9 tows of 2x2 ribbing, on the 10th round I purl one, hold next purl at back, knti 2, purl the held stitch, p2 and hold next 2 sts to front, purl 1 and then knit 2 held at front. As you do dit, it will become obvious how you do it. then I knti a further 9 rounds afetr this one and on the 10round, I travel back to 2x2. Now the importnat bit is that wehn you are ready to travel back to 4x4 you do not do the same as for the first swtich to 4x4. Instead you p2, hold 2 to front, p1, knit 2, hold p st at back, knti 2, p the held stich, p2, hold 2 to front, p1, knit the 2 held. I have written this as I try to picture in my mind what I did so this is not foolproof. However, if you DO IT, it will become clear.

JOB'S SOCKS

They are finally done!!! The yarn is Schafer's 'ANNE'. 60% Merino, 25% Mohair and 15% nylon. I knitted these using 1.5mm Hiya Hiya Circular, magic loop, one sock on each needle, knitted simultaneously. This is the longest a pair of socks have ever taken me, about a month because I kept putting them down to do some others. They hurt my hands! I am thinking I will not use 1.5mm again. These could have been knitted on 1.75mm after all but that didn't become apparent until I was well into the foot. The pattern is a plain old garter rib. I knitted them toe up using my Andersson Method and Andersson heel Mach II.
I am very pleased that I finished them. I really like the yarn mix. Wool and Mohair is a favourite of mine.