Not a lot of productive knitting lately, although I am in a blur of knitting on lots of projects and none seem to be progressing, partly as I am knitting for others - these projects should be a whizz but the mere thought of knitting (even something as simple as a stripey Noro scarf as in Brooklyn Tweeds') has me fizzing with worry - what if the recipient doesn't like it, what if he hates the colour, what if he is offended that I thought he couldn't get himself a scarf of his own choosing, what if he hates the yarn, what if he thinks the colours are totally girly (and that thought would never do for such a totally kiwi bloke) or thinks I have done a crap job or - WHAT IF HE HATES SCARVES ALTOGETHER? I guess if this guy wasn't so special it wouldn't matter so much , but he is adorable and I love him to bits, well OK not totally to bits - that's my sisters department (he is her main sqeeze, apart from her offspring) and anyone that is so good to her (because she is the most precious sister in the world and if she wasn't my only sister she would still be my favourite sister) and makes her so happy has to be the best not-actually-brother-in-law ever. Normally, I would hang back on the knitting (it is kind of known as my little oddity and people are very good - I mean they cope admirably, usually) but Garry is such a fab guy and I am so happy he is there for my sister after some really harrowing experiences (when we nearly lost her over some stuff a few years ago, to do with her general health) I just thought to hell with it - I want to make something and just celebrate he is around with every stitch....
So anyway, if anyone has any qualms about girly colours or objections that they can think of please let me know as I am knitting myself into knots and that means when I start my sisters' one (in colours still to be decided - but she has the most adorable baby blue eyes and light golden/brown hair - very pretty colouring if you ask me, so any opinions for her again are very welcome).
The other project that I am doing for someone is my mum - she is a fiesty old chook of most decided opinions - but she has allowed me to knit her a tea-cosy. Pah, you think what a big deal.... well, actually it is - Nancy is not the type to have ever allowed something into her house unless it met her exacting standards (even if it was only to go straight in a drawer, thats just the way she is) and she has said I may knit her a tea cosy and she hasn't laid out any conditions to be met (except nothing wacky - but hey, that's standard for my mother), therefore as this is such a rare event and there may never be an opportunity to knit for her depending on the experience of the tea cosy to be knitted I am in knots again. I know she will like something elegant and simple and classy - but Jeez-Lousie (as the daughter would say) I don't do any of those.
The responsibility is overwhelming. So far I have Noro Silk Garden shade 211 (she'll like those colours and it will suit the little brown teapot) and Butterfly stitch.... now I am worried, but my rule is three full repeats of a pattern and then frog.
Now, if only I could think of a project that combined Silk Garden Light and Kidsilk Haze.
In the mean time work is swamping me - we are overloaded and drowning in great piles of stuff to be done and idiot people are asking us to do dumb things (like organising a paper in the Edinburgh filing cabinets - 6 feet away from them to be photocopied and sent out when we are miles away in Glasgow), think people! think dammit!(and then get up, drag those knuckles of yours across the floor and open the drawer and ...climb in shutting the drawer behind you). We are also having organisational "team days" and just so many meetings and general right-on-officey nonsense to cut our silo mentalities - I say Silos = Good, Bunkers = Better (in other words leave me alone and I'll join in when I have dug through my piles of work and regained a sense of humour). We just can't seem to get on with our work for all the doodle polls and team angst.
Our happy little bolt hole in Glasgow has also been giving us gip - Monday/Tuesday the heating was broke (they must have fixed something) and on the 8th floor we were all sitting at the desks swaddled up in coats and scarves and clutching Cafe Nero coffees to warm our frozen paws - we looked like a herd of Moomintrolls grazing amidst the open plan desks. Not good. Thursday - the lifts were broken - some poor soul was removed as a semi-catatonic heap at 8:00am after spending the night there sobbing unheard, it also meant the specatacle of people arriving at the 8th floor gasping like freshly landed fish, I can say it is not an attractive look and not an experience I wish to repeat anytime soon.
Still monday tomorrow - a whole fresh week that can only go horribly wrong, oh joy.
