Was it "So little time, so much to do!!!" or the other way around???

Lately, I’ve been teaching myself to knit and it’s been quite rewarding. I suppose that I’ve done it for two reasons – firstly, to keep myself busy. I think that we all have the problem when there is nothing to do. Well, the knitting should help to cure that, even if it’s just finishing a pair of socks. Oh, and I’ve got two left feet so I’ll only knit left foot socks and secondly so that I can have exactly what I want. But it will give me a lot to do. You know what it's like, an idea comes into your head and off you go, looking for whatever it was that you thought about and you walk for miles and miles, finding yourself halfway across Europe by the middle of the afternoon. You haven't seen what you're looking for and there is no bus home. Well, this should be it sorted.

 I’ve also decided to learn a second language. With the chances of Scotland going it alone being quite good and that giving Shetland a better chance of doing the same, I’ve decided to teach myself to speak Norwegian. It shouldn’t be that hard as Shetlandic has a lot of similarity with Norwegian. The spelling is immensely different I think but I’ll find out as I go. Any success at either and I'll be full of it, spewing out all the guff incessantly no doubt.

If you get bored, just put the kettle on, I take two sugars, by the way.

I didn't quite finish the jumper

Yesterday, I didn't quite finish the jumper. It wasn't lack of effort, I put in a lot of time - at least, oh, twenty, twenty-five minutes but it wasn't finished.

I blame the wool. It was too thin. Thin and awkward and spiteful too. Not only that but it was the wrong colour, how was I supposed to finish the job when it was the wrong colour.

I'm going to sit back with a cup of coffee and suss out just what to do next, that's what I'm going to do.

It's not that long ago that a lot of men used to knit, especially up here in Shetland so I'm going back in time and I will learn how to knit, firstly because I see it as a very historic skill to have and secondly, a very rewarding skill. It provides you with all the clothing, covers, whatever, in the colour that you like and if I do it for myself there's a good chance that it might fit.

Nothing is guaranteed right enough, but I can only try.

I just hope the sheep carry on providing!!!

The jumper's nearly done!!!

Haha, that's the first knit row done, lucky I measured the length of my arms or they might have ended up a bit short. The knitting I mean, nothing to do with my arm.

Did you like the track I did my knitting to, the neighbours were staring in the window again so I turned it up in case they couldn't hear it.

This time it's Neil Young and "Old Man", maybe he's talking about me again!!!

Sound daft? It's guaranteed!!!

Does anyone remember that a few days ago I commented on learning to knit? Well, the yarn and the pins arrived this morning so there's not much excuse now, no reason to dodge the column and all that.

I've found a couple of short films on youtube,  How to knit - The basics and How to knit - Casting on so I think that I'll have a good look at them, the first one is about six minutes and the second is around three minutes and after watching them I expect to be able to knit a new garden or something.

If I never mention anything about knitting again then I'm sure that you can work out why.

Please, no gales of laughter outside my front door, it'll stop the neighbours getting a decent nights sleep :))

This might sound daft!!!

This might sound daft but here in Shetland, men used to knit. When my grandfather was at sea and he had a little time to himself he would get the pins out to do some repairs or make a new pair of socks, maybe a jumper for himself or his wife, perhaps for one of his children, my mother and uncles and aunt.

I'm sure that a lot of men still do knit here, especially if there is no pub close by, the telly is on and it's raining outside. What better to do as you stare at the news or the music is on - and save a fortune as you do it.

So, I've made a decision. Not just a wee decision either but a big one!!! A change in my life when you think about it. I'm going to learn to knit. I'm doing this to keep myself busy, to give myself the ability to have clothes that I like and to be able to repair clothes instead of having to buy new ones that I can't afford.

You never know, this might have been a photo of one of my older relatives - or maybe one of yours - making a new pair of underpants.

You can do a lot with a pair of knitting needles you know!!!

I'll let you know how I get on and if I start taking orders I'll give you an idea of the prices, alright!!!