It's Thursday!

So, Aston is on the mend (this is not a recent pic, I may try to get one soon). I’m not sure that his foot is being used, but he is getting about better than he was. We will still be going back to the vets though, and we’re going to take his brother Martin with us too, because we might as well for the price it’s costing us! Hopefully the vet will be nice, as it’s a different one than before.

I’m trying a new moisturiser-with-self-tan, the one from Palmers. I really like the body butter that Palmers do, so I thought I’d give the tan one a try. I learnt two things:

1. Don’t try to mix the tan with the non-tan product, it’s too squishy
2. Don’t forget the backs of your arms

I also confirmed that the usual don’t put too much on your toes or elbows also applies to this product. Otherwise though it’s a nice smell, a nice texture and it soaks in well. I may be a convert. It has to be said that it is much easier to go get someone else to put some goop on, but it is expensive. I have one of the home kits for the St Tropez Tanning System, and it’s really good. it’s not easy to get your own back, but I am very flexible so I find it okay. I like that system because you can see where you’ve been when you put it on, and then you have a nice glow when you take it off. However, the moisturiser ones have an extra benefit – daily moisturising, which I should do, but don’t do.

Image courtesy of knitting on the net

In knitting news, I’ve managed to get past a bit in the pattern for the secret item which was causing me problems (I had to unravel [or frog] the entire thing twice!). As it’s a lace pattern it’s quite difficult, and the pattern changes every 10 rows, and is 10 stitches wide, with lots of yf and k2tog bits. I quite like how the stitch sl1 k2tog psso looks though, which I have been introduced to by this pattern. I’m a bit worried about decreasing in pattern, especially as the pattern’s author claimed that it wouldn’t be suitable for beginners. As I’ve only knit about a dozen things ever, I consider myself a beginner, but I also like a challenge. If I find any useful resources on the web about decreasing in pattern (or if you reader(s) know of any) then I’ll be well away. If they’re really useful I might add them to the blogroll.

Mum and Dad are up at the weekend to bring us a sofa-bed. It used to be theirs, and then my sister had it, now it’s going to be ours. Well, it’s not the most comfortable as a bed, but it’s not bad as a sofa. I’ve also asked for my big sofa-sized throw (shop bought, I’m afraid) to be brought up to throw over the sofa as it’s purple and I'm not a big fan of purple. The throw is burgundy/maroon (they call it “wine” on the label) and lovely. I will probably combine it with my pink smaller throw too, and it’ll look real pretty! Anyway, then I plan to make a cushion cover for the massive cushion we have left over from when we bought cushions (I think it’s 21 inches, but I could be remembering wrong) – I might even knit it! (my other cushion covers so far are sewn, and they still need Velcro fastenings attaching to them.) Well, once that’s all done, since it’s in the room with my yarn in, I thought I could sit in there in comfort and knit. That way I will be less likely to be distracted by the telly and ssk when I should be sl1 or knit when I should purl! Oddly, this is a situation where I’m seeing the most positive outlook on the sofa arrival!