For anyone doing or thinking of doing the Slalom sock (It was in a recent issue of Yarn Forward magazine, don't ask me which one as my brain isn't working right now. But it had pretty fingerless lace mitts on the cover) don't make the same mistake I did, there's a typo in the chart that just doesn't sit right with me. So my tip of the day is to either follow the written instructions, or if you're the type of knitter who's more comfortable with charts rewrite the chart yourself in line with the typed instructions.

Freshly off needles are lsb's heel less socks, unfortunately the pictures don't show how bright they really are.















As per usual straight after this post is up I'll be starting on another replacement project. This time what I think is going to turn out to be a very nice pink version of Polly's slalom socks, and as lsb's purchased a camera battery for me as a reward for passing my last exam of the year I may actually get round to posting pictures on a regular basis.

Finally a picture of some knitting. The office hasn't been too busy today so i've managed to get a little work done on some simple socks (apologies if the quality's rubbish, i've only got my phone camera at work) which started off as my revision socks, to keep my hands busy and my mind sharp while trying to revise for my last exam (which i passed by the way, go me) and stop me tearing my hair out in frustration. Lsb's socks are coming along really well and with us both having next week off i can see them getting finished. I'd better trundle back to work now and see what great opportunities are to be had in the world of specialist community nursing.

I really can't believe it's been close on a month since I updated, but things have been so busy of late. Obviously as I said before we had a bereavement in the family last month, and that upset life a little. This past week hasn't been such a good one either, I started a new placement - which always seems to mean I catch either a cold, sore throat or the flu. This time it was a cold that knocked me for 6, with only the energy to very weakly work on lsb's heel less socks (of which the first one is finally finished - never again. The pattern's lovely, but 3 pairs of socks in a row in the same pattern is a bit much. I want a rest) as always picture to follow when the camera's working which of course it's not, as I've still been unable to replace the battery.

It's also been a bad week as I was recently told by someone I worked with last year that my favourite patient has died. I know it's probably unprofessional to admit to having a "favourite" patient, but I don't know how else to describe this man, and I'd just like to pay tribute to him if I may. This man was a very unique individual, a mellowed out former hell raiser left over from the asylum days who had more scars from fights and scrapes than your average boxer, who always had a story to tell, he'd seen it all in his time and stood as a testament to how the so called "good old days" weren't actually that good at all for the patients who were subjected to what we would now consider barbaric and inhumane treatments. He always had something entertaining to say and whether it made sense or not he always brought a smile to my face and he knew it. He had no real family who cared about him which always upset me, but given that he'd spent most of his adult life hidden away in an asylum it shouldn't have really surprised me. He had the most beautiful singing voice I've ever heard, and his renditions of Danny Boy brought a tear to my eye. I was genuinely upset when I was told of his death because it was so sudden and he'd been so very young in my eyes to go, but I feel so blessed and so fortunate to have known this man because I know there'll never be a character like him again. And with the existence now of newer drugs and better therapies I'll never again see someone with the level of long lasting side effects as I saw both in this man and in his peers. I will genuinely miss this gentleman and will always remember the lessons that I learned from him.