Normal Service Has Been Resumed

I'm back.

What do you mean, you didn't notice I was gone?

We had a slight interruption of our broadband service for a short time - only 5 days, nothing major. Thanks a bunch to Virgin Media who were so helpful during this time. Not.

I don't think I'd realised before just how reliant on the web we have all become. I couldn't read all my favourite blogs. Check if a LYS has the yarn I want - no. Look for a local supplier of chicken coops - no. Find a recipe - no. Look for a pattern on Ravelry - no. Find some fibre on eBay - no. Reply to an email I got just before it went off - no. Look up the name of that actor on Wikipedia because I know I've seen him in something else and I can't remember what - no. Update the blog - not a chance. Not to mention the damage to the Evilpixie's social life caused by not having constant access to MSN or Myspace or whatever.

Now, I realise that all these things are trivial. Nothing life-threatening here, but it was seriously odd. Strangely, now that it's back, apart from an afternoon spent catching up on the news from the blogs and a quick browse on eBay, the desperate need to be online has disappeared.

And I have pictures to show you too. Here's Bubba working hard -

He seems to be doing well, especially with the help of the lovely Gayle from K9 Hydro in Aston. Back to the specialist tomorrow for the crucial x-rays to see if the bone is mending properly. Fingers crossed.

All the time offline meant I got a lot of knitting done. Icarus is almost finished. I've had to cut short the lacy edging as I was running out of wool - about 8 rows shorter than it should be. I'm hoping it will look alright once the edging is done - otherwise I shall have to frog the last 40 or so rows and re-do them. I am so hoping not to have to do that. Anyway there are 4 rows of edging so I shall do them and see what it looks like when I block it. I rather suspect there are some hideous mistakes in the knitting but I'm hoping they won't be too noticeable in such a large expanse of shawl - it has turned out quite large - even before it's blocked. Bear with me while I do the last few rows then I'll photograph it for you.

Obsessive lace knitting means I've not been reading too much though I did read The Overlook by Michael Connolly which was quite a short book. It's one of the Harry Bosch series and while I enjoyed it I didn't think it was one of his best. It wasn't a bad book, just seemed to be lacking a little of the depth of plot and character I expect from Connelly.

Then I read The Nicholas Feast by Pat McIntosh. This is the second in a historical crime series set in Glasgow. I did really enjoy the first one (The Harper's Quine) though I thought this one was possibly not quite as good. That may just have been the subject matter as the murder was set in Gil's old university and the book was filled with some old and dusty theologians and the victim was not a particularly pleasant fellow - it was hard to feel much sympathy with him. However the main characters of Gil, Pierre and Alys are developing nicely and I shall certainly read the next one. This book was for my crime reading group. I'd been unable to attend the group this past 9 months or so because it clashed with my spinning class, but that's finished now so I'm back to the reading group. I had really missed it. I just love to hear everyone's different opinions on the books we've been reading - especially as we are a diverse group with a wide range of tastes. So glad to be back.

Now I'm off to knit a row or maybe two of Icarus in the garden before I go to work, now that we finally have a sunny day.