Improvisation.

When we were out shopping last week, Simon, for reasons still unknown, decided that I needed some knitting wool that was 'On Offer', this wool came in packs of three balls and was of the chunky variety, also included in the pack was a pattern for a hat, well why not I thought, I might just wear a hat if it gets cold enough. Now many years ago I used to be an very keen knitter, as long as it was an interesting pattern, Aran patterns were always my favourite, but for some reason I stopped being a knitter.
In those days it was easy to find a wool shop, buy a pattern, buy the wool and the needles, assuming you didn't have the right size at home. Not so nowadays, you can buy wool, just, if you want oiled wool or something else equally way out you don't stand much of a chance, needles? just, double ended needles, not a chance, especially if you need size 10 and 12. I looked on line, most would not post to Ireland, those few that would were charging an arm and a leg to do so. Defeated? Never, two lengths of wooden dowel 10 and 12 m, cut to a suitable length, points made and

                                              I have my eight needles.
 It has worked out cheaper than buying them and paying postage, all I have to do now is get in the right frame of mind to start knitting.

One small peg loom  which can easily be made wider.

The rest of the doweling has been made into a peg loom, something I had wanted to have a go at a few years ago, Simon has beaten me to it, but I expect I will get a chance to have a go before the winter has finished. 
Reading a newspaper report earlier this week it appears that Ireland spends more on Christmas than any other country in the Western world, over one thousand euros per person, the UK is not too far behind in second place, this seems an incredible amount of money to spend, unless you give gifts to your remotest relatives, or are feeding a small army. I wonder how much further into debt people become due the  Christmas celebrations, at a time  when personal debt is already at an all time high, no wonder  people spend so little of their disposable income on food, yet still complain that food is too expensive,  just 16.2% of household expenditure is on food. A question of priority's I guess.