Wednesday 28 May 2008

Feeling Happier!

Roll of Drums - have actually started work at last!! That's lifted a lot of anxiety, just fot to make sure the shifts come in now!

Done yet another face cloth - or is that two, maybe three?! Paw print is on the needles, black cat and moon and stas are completed - will take pix later. Patterns to be found via Ravelry.

Am doing and planning to do Surprise items for Spoilees and another two top secret surprises - all info to follow after the events!

The Chucks haven't laid yet..........

Questionnaire for UK Swap



Part 1 Crafting


- I mainly knit, I can only do basic crochet - granny squares
- I like to make bags, scarves, smaller items rather than cardi’s and jumpers. I also like doing things for the home including face/dish cloths. I also dye yarn. A lot.
- Favourite Project - dyeing, knitting and felting an object, usually a bag. I’ve recently got into doing face cloths - wonderful for instant gratification! - and bits and bobs for round the home.
- Favourite Band/type of yarn - Favourite Brand has to be Noro, type of yarn has to be 100% wool so I can dye and felt with it. I also like Rowan. I also like the posher yarns such as manos and those that come from South America. I like soft to touch yarns usually with strong colours.
Least Favourite - Acrylic, although it does have it’s place. Not so keen on the eyelash/fun fur type stuff. Unfortunately I’ve got what seems like tons of the damn stuff.
Any other crafts - Cross stitch, although the knitting has some what taken over in the last 18 months or so. Making excuses no to do loads of housework……
KIP - Am a ‘Stafford Knit Chic’, so knit in Druckers each Monday. I also knit in the car, particularly when I’m waiting for Hubby to finish work. Have also knitted in the pub, but had to put it down after a few hours as cider and knitting don’t mix after a while…… I usually knit something fairly simple and straightforward, so that I don’t have to concentrate too much and can natter at the same time, y’know how it is! I also go to ‘Knitterati’ once a month - highly recommended!

Portable Project - bag, scarf, mittens, bowl, face cloth, that sort of thing
Lusted after knitting gifts - Knit Picks Options straight needles - the multi-coloured ones, have got the circular ones. I’m hoping to get these for my birthday! I would like some books, but there is that many that I would like that I don’t keep a list as it wouldn’t be realistic! I would also like to go on a ‘Knitting Holiday’. I’m happy to knit, happier to knit with company, and if it’s in beautiful surroundings…. Happy for thoughtful knitty gifts. I think I lust after Noro for the colour and feel, and other similar yarns.



Part 2 - Favourites


Colour - Purple is a firm favourite. I like pink but not the neon - cerise - bright pinks. I like dark, strong reds, blues and greens. I also like fresh spring green, lime (as long as it’s not gaudy), sage greens etc. I am a real fan of rainbow yarn, I think with that you can use some colours that you wouldn’t normally dream and they can work well. Not a big fan of pastels. Don’t do neons. I don’t tend towards browns too much as a single colour, although mix it with greens…..
Scent/Smells - Lavender has to come in here somewhere, fresh lavender. I like most pleasant smells. I’ve not explored scents enough to say ‘oh I prefer musks or florals’ etc. I burn incense at home.
How do I pamper myself - luxury baths - bubble bath with a gorgeous scent. Occasionally a candle lit bath. For real pampering, I use products from Lush, usually with floating dried flowers. A fluffy towel on the radiator, a clean bed with cotton bedding and knowing I’ve got a lie-in the next morning!
Goodies - Ha! Has to be chocolate. Proper chocolate, not the plastic stuff. I feel happily treated with Thorntons or other similar. Biscuits are a treat. Most kind of biscuits. I’m veggie so I packet read as well when I buy stuff.
Tea or coffee? - Tea all the way. I’m a tea belly. I don’ drink coffee at all. I don’t like the taste of it, although strangely enough I do like the smell of freshly ground coffee. I like strong cuppa - English Breakfast. Earl grey during the day or when out. A bit of Ceylon now and then etc. Tetley’s (or is it TaTa?!) or PG on a daily basis!
Listen to / watch whilst knitting - day time is Radio 2. TV viewing of an evening is normally the comedies - Frasier, two & a half men, MASH, Family Guy, Open All Hours, Porridge, That 70’s show etc. I also like sci-fi and fantasy although the hubby doesn’t. Also like a good horror film, thrillers etc. Don’t really go in for Romcoms and Chick Flicks too much. Am picky about the crime stuff.



Part 3 - About Me


Specific yarn - I would have to be soft but resilient. Lots of colours or variations of one colour. A versatile yarn that you can do lots with, ie dye, felt, wash etc and could be made into a variety of things. - lots of uses.
Location - I live in Staffordshire.
Lived elsewhere - I was born in Cyprus, my Father was in the Army so we travelled a bit. I have also lived in Berlin. UK - Brought up in Chesterfield, although the folks are Cumbrian. Went to Boarding School in Matlock. Also lived in Sheffield and Wolverhampton. Came here 12 years ago, for work, and have stayed although want to move on from here, back up north to Cumbria.
Favourite UK Place - Crumbs, I like a lot of places and I’ve not explored all of the UK! Top of the list to Visit would be Castlerigg. I like to be out in the country, where there are lots of hills, water (including the sea!) and trees. I also like sitting in my garden. I also like moor lands. One of my life time ambitions is to see the Northern Lights.
Visit anywhere in the World - I would like to do a Global Walk About! Spend enough time in each place to get a feel for it. I would like to see Ayers Rock, the Grand Canyon (though you wouldn’t get me on that glass platform for love nor money!) Niagara Falls, The Hebrides and Shetland Isles, South America to see the Pyramids and the Andes and all the ancient places, North America - to say I’ve been there; Canada as it sounds good; Moscow for the architecture. I’d also like a shifty round the old eastern bloc countries and perhaps Russia and China cos they are stuffed with History etc.
Other hobbies - I cross stitch, as mentioned. I used to dress make but haven’t done that for a long time. Gardening. Cooking/baking. Knitting takes most of my free time to be honest.



Part Four - Theme




About my pic - Stonehenge, a place I always wanted to visit, got close quite a few times. The day I went was quite by chance - I'd gone to Bristol to do an Assessment and had finished early, so to the opportunity to explore round there and decided to go to Stonehenge. I got there half an hour before it closed and only had my mobile to take pictures. If I had to 'tag' my theme and picture - nature, history, adventure, impulsivity, all things connected to stonehenge and similar places, photography.

Part Five
Allergies - I don’t particularly have any major allergies. I have pets - two dogs, three birds and five chickens and a husband who smokes. I also burn incense

Thursday 22 May 2008

Work, Wool & Time Management

Finally got the green light to start working with the ageny late yesterday afternoon!! Couldn't believe it and about time too! Got some shifts, but not yet full time but it's a good start. Got to go to the agency ofices later today to collect id, Uniform, pay rates and time sheets. And to generally creep so they know what a wonderful person I am and give me tons of work.......

Toook some yarn to be sold to a friend yesterday. Even got in a tizz about that. In the end, I only took two 100g skeins. Another 500g was still damp, a further 600g had to be put into 100g skeins. My time management needs lots of work. Hopefully now I'm working again then it might give me the nudge to stop spending so much head time worrying and see and do things more clearly!

So I've got a list of jobs to do today. Already I've spent far too much time on the bloody laptop.... just to remind myself, my list of jobs runs like this (not in order of importance!)

Go to Agency
Asda
Get Dye
Collect Magazines
Ring re Mortgage and Car
Clean Yard
?Laundry
Check Spoilees details again
Get pic for UK Swap and post details
Housework
Write letters - post Saturday
Tidy Back Room
Decide what to put in spoilees parcels
Check Bank Account
Check Mileage to Work Placement
Decide waht to do for *the surprise* can't say what or it will spoil the surprise

Don't think I'll get it all done today, but need to get most of it done.

Crack On Girl!

Tuesday 20 May 2008

References and Knitting

Another day and the bloomin' Agency still haven't got my references, so I'm still not working and the bills ain't gonna be paid this month, so a big 'Cheers' to my referees or to whoever is holding the process up! Although I've got my fingers crossed that someone in particular will come through for me today!

The sooner I start working again the better, I'm starting to crumble round the edges with the worry.

Went to the Knitting Group yesterday. A good morning well spent! I'm making a bag for a 'spoilee' at the moment although I'm convinced it's not the right colour - re-dyeing will resolve that hopefully! Need to sort out patterns for another spoilee, but can't at present say anything more as it may give the game away and ruin the surprise!

Even planning my knitting or doing anything knitting related is becoming erratic and non-focused due to the worry of not earning! Chuffinell!

Wednesday 14 May 2008

Introducing the Chickens!

This is Roast!


Here are the chikens in all their glory! Their names are: Roast, Radar, (Big) Bertha, Guess and What! I'll try and get individual pix of them when I've sorted the finer points of uploading images...... (the ongoing saga!)




Dish/Face Cloths







This is my first ever dishcloth!! Ta-da! It was tricky to start off with as I'm out of practice with DPN's. The air was blue when I kept dropping the damn things, but it paid off!




I would do this again, hopefully without the mini 'volcano' in the middle, which I'm hoping might disappear once it's wet!




I got the pattern from Ravelry rainyk.com or ravelry.com
In fact they are all from the same place. I did the Summer Sun one next, then the Tea Pot one. All very enjoyable - I think Dish/face cloths are a thing I shall be doing quite frequently!














Sunday 11 May 2008

Dish/Face Cloths

I've now knitted two face cloths and I think I'm hooked! I want to do more and more. The potential is massive, from designing them to gifting them. But the question is, will this replace my bag fetish? Probably not, it will just run along side it cos I need to concentrate a little bit when doing the cloths, to follow the pattern and don't think I could natter and knit at the same time!

I've signed up for my first two knitting swaps. One I was late to join and a kind soul became an 'Angel' for me, so I'm waiting to see if I knit for her. It's quite exciting. The theme is kitchen stuff. Guess there will be a dishcloth or two in there at least!

The other swap is a 'mini purse swap'. I knit a bag (purse to those over the pond), and fill it with at least $15 of goodies. That's round about £7.50. Look to http://ravelry.com

The sun is too hot for me, I've had to come in until it cools and started to feel yukky with it. the poor Chucks, HobbitKeeper has covered part of their run with hessian sacks to give them a bit more shade. They've yet to lay the first eggs.......

Saturday 10 May 2008

Week Catch up!

Wow, lots of things have happened since I was last here! So here's a quick run down!

The Chickens arrived last Thursday, they've since been named - Roast, Radar, Bertha, Guess and What! And I love them to bits!

Still haven't started working - the agency is still waithing for my references - get a move on, you know who you are - you're loosing me money!

I've finished the baggy trap bag, also finished a short row scarf in Noro Kureyon, and today have finished my first dish cloth - and it was a circular on on 4 dpn's!!

Going to start another dishcloth, think I'm going to like doing them!

Have signed up for my first swap on Ravelry - am soooo excited!

Things aren't going well at all for my sister and her boy, but can't go into detail here - it's a far sensitive matter.

Been dyeing lots of yarn.

Pictures and patterns to follow!