A word (or several)

Over the weekend we cleared out the shed. I say “we” but really, I mean “he”. In fairness, most of the crap in there was the boyf’s and not mine. It’s much tidier in there now. I even managed to get a space on the shelf for my few plant pots and tools. I’m not very green fingered, but I am enjoying trying!

So, after we (this time I do mean we) took all the crap from the shed to the tip (everything from bike tyres to cardboard boxes) we made a start on the living room cum dining room.

You see, we live in an old Victorian terraced house. Once upon a time it would have been two rooms downstairs, but at some point (probably in the 70s or 80s) the owners decided to knock through and make it into one long awkward room instead of two small dark rooms. While I can see the logic, I’m not a fan of knocked-through. It was one of the things I compromised on when we chose this house. I’m going to be less easily swayed this time, I promise.

Anyway, for the last year or two we have had the “dining room” end at the front of the house and the “living room” end at the back. It works well that way round, except for the wiring issues.

However, we’re thinking about selling the house and moving somewhere with a little more space, preferably a drive and/or garage, space for chickens and possibly further livestock*, out-buildings would be nice, or more rooms than we need inside.

Of course, there’s no way we can afford a house which has all of that, and is in a fit state to move in to without much work, and so we need to consider that. After the nightmare** that fitting the kitchen has been, I’m not especially keen to do it again. However I’m not enamoured with new-builds because they tend to have very, very small gardens.***

Anyway – where was I? Oh yes, the room. So since we eventually want to sell the place we’re going to put it back to the “conventional” way around. Or rather, we partially have, this weekend. It’s not so great at the moment because we’ve only moved the sofas, computer, fridge**** and dining table and chairs. This has not worked because there’s a big old bookshelf in the way of where the sofa should be, and therefore the sofas overlap in a bit of a mad way at the moment. We can live with it until we move the bookshelves, DVD shelf, CD shelf, Hamsters and the Welsh dresser. (Indeed).

Yeah, so not content with the chaos we had, we’re making more.

On the up-side, we have made an appointment with our mortgage lender and our bank to talk money, because if we can’t borrow what we think we need, we’re not going anywhere for now.


I’ve a lot planned for the next few weeks, it always gets a bit hectic around this time of year.

Firstly I’m off to Harrogate on Friday for the Knitting and Stitching show. This will be my third year there! I’ve given myself a much smaller budget this year than last, mainly because I already have quite a lot of yarn^, but also because of my next point…

Secondly we’re going on the work “London Weekender” trip. Mainly because the overnight stay is in our old university town of Harrow (well, almost – it’s in Kenton) – the boyfriend and I met at uni, and have fond memories of Harrow especially. We’ll probably do some free stuff in the day, like visiting the Natural History Museum^^. I’m also thinking about going to one of the London LYS, but I’ll check if they’re open first.

Monday next week we’re at the mortgage people.

Wednesday we’re at a party/dinner/charity thing.

Then, the weekend after that my folks are visiting to help turn the kitchen door around, to take away the fridge (and hopefully some of the tools) and such. I also plan to buy an iPhone that weekend as we will have been paid.

And then!

Christmas party: 4th Dec (before which I need a haircut)

Two whole free weekends pass before my Team Christmas Lunch (on a Tuesday), then Mum and Dad are visiting for Mum’s birthday – we’re taking her to Betty’s.

After that there’s just One Week until Christmas!^^^





*Potentially including goats, sheep, rabbits, ducks and/or geese. But probably not a cow.
**Okay, so it hasn’t been that bad, but being without a kitchen for a time is not fun, I get fatter and don’t get to cook (which I enjoy), and we spend too much money on takeaways.
***Not that our yard is that big, but I don’t want a six bedroom mansion with a garden the size of a postage stamp.
****So we have a new fridge in the kitchen, but I promised my Mum she could have the old fridge freezer, so it’s standing in the middle of my “dining room”.
^Now, I’m not going to suggest that I have enough yarn, or dareIsayit, too much, but I do have a lot.
^^If we actually make it there, since this will be at least our third “trek” to Kensington, and we’ve not made it into the museum yet!
^^^closely followed, six days later, by my birthday. No it’s not a cool day to have a birthday on. Most people I might think of inviting out to do something (usually a quiet meal, depending on if I’m working on the 1st Jan^^^^) are already doing something to celebrate the New Year, and I don’t like hijacking parties%.
^^^^I know, I picked the wrong job. I sometimes (every year for the past 5, maybe 6) have to work on the 1st January. Last year I was out drinking til about 5am. Even a gourmet burger on the company didn’t help much with that hangover. Boo.
%Especially not parties with people “singing” to SingStar (srsly, I thought I was not very good at singing, compared to these guys I’m Pavarotti!), and trying to have “incidents” involving areas of Newcastle that I don’t fully understand but know that one is bad…

Organic Veggies

Ok, so my own home grown veggies haven't been so successful. (Except the beans, I have enough runner beans to last til this time next year)

However, we can get an organic veggie box delivered to our door.

We chose the "mini" box, and here it is:

It contains courgettes, broccoli and cauliflower,

And shallots, and what's that? An Avocado? Amazing.
Oh, and carrots, potatoes, chard and a lemon.
I can't wait to see what's in the next one!

Getting back to it

So, I was sick a couple of weeks ago, and I only went to the gym one day last week due to car and boyfriend things.
That means I’m a bit out of practise. Or so I thought! I’ve actually done pretty well this morning. I made some reasonable lifts, and I think I can go heavier on some of them. Here’s today’s workout:

• Warm up
• Bench press, 8x20kg, 8x23kg
• Squat, 2 sets 8x60kg
• Upright row, 2 sets 8x15kg
• Bent over row, 2 sets 8x15kg
• Shoulder press, 2 sets 8x15kg
• crunches with 5kg weight, 2x15
• treadmill (eep) random elevation, 8 mins at 6.6kmph, 3 mins cooldown

I don’t really like the treadmill, but looking back to when I was running, I looked pretty good.

Though in that pic I was struggling to run – too hot! Hence the red face. But that was back in August 2007. I’m not as slim now as I was then, but I am stronger and more toned – or I think so anyway.
I am really enjoying the weight training, but I think a short burst of running might help me to feel more like I’ve worked out. I’ve been reading Rachel Cosgrove’s blog, she talks about not feeling as toned when she’s training for running events (Iron Man) as when she’s doing her normal regime. Hopefully I’ll get her book for Christmas.

In other news… the car needs some more work. Yey. We had a new exhaust fitted at the service and it seems it’s been done wrong. The result of this is twofold – one is that we don’t really trust the local garage any more; the other is that we need to get it fixed because the exhaust is “blowing” and that’s not very efficient. We also have to get the fuel filter fixed because it’s leaking. So we’re going back to VW by the looks of things. The prices they quoted for those things aren’t bad, so I don’t mind too much.

On the knitting front? Well, my sock design is now being test knit. No pictures because I’m hoping to publish it. The sweater is also going well. I’ll probably have that test knit before I self publish that. Quite exciting!
I’m going to have to try to get through some of my outstanding knits, I have quite a lot on! There’s the toy for a friend’s baby’s First Birthday, the mittens which I may or not finish. Booga bag just needs a photo to stop being a WIP. The hat for Boyf might have to be frogged; the pattern calls for DK and I’m using Aran and it’s not really working for me, it’s just too stiff. The bag I crocheted on the plane needs lining, Boyf’s socks will remain a WIP until published or rejected. The rare pillow is a nice easy knit, I just need to get on with it. Phoenix (the jumper) is half way down the first sleeve. The two lace scarves… well, I plan to finish the one from VLT, but I’m umming about frogging branching out. I’m not sure I like it enough to finish it, I fancy making something a bit more interesting – not that I dislike the pattern, but it’s not memorise-able (for me) so I end up having to read the instructions each time…and the yarn is lush and should be made into something nice. And Boyf’s cloth just needs the ends weaving in and a photo taking! (Oh, and a quick wash and dry to neaten it up).

Boris and Felt

This article about how Boris Johnson Saves the Day made me smile this morning. The mental image of Boris wielding an iron bar, whilst cycling towards a gang of “hoodies” is brilliant.
It’s also great to see that he isn’t all talk and no trousers. When someone genuinely needed assistance he stepped in, probably without considering his own safety. He showed he has principles, and guts. Something which many politicians are sadly lacking.


Now, I feel I should share my recent felting experience with you. There isn’t an FO photo yet, though I’ll put it up when there is.
I decided to make a Booga Bag for myself from South West Trading Company Karaoke yarn. I used my 6mm circs and made the big old bag (pre-felting).
The pre-felting dimensions were: 4.5 x 10 x 13 inches and the i-cord was 97 inches long.
I bunged it into a pillowcase, and stuffed that into the washer with some old jeans. I washed it on the hottest cycle (which I thought I did last time I felted) and let it run for the shorter cycle. When I took it out of the washer I was a little surprised.
It turns out that Karaoke yarn felts really well at 90 degrees.
So here is my bag, blocking on two light bulb boxes (to give you an idea of scale too!)

It needs a shave too…
So, measurements after blocking: 3 x 5.5 x 4.75 and the i-cord is now 33 inches.
The bag is now 66% x 55% x 36% of its original size, and the i-cord is just over 33% of its original length. Whoops!
I had envisaged a knitting bag – something big enough to put a small project, some wool, some tools (scissors, crochet hook etc) and a pattern in. I might be able to fit a sock project in, if I don’t mind it sticking out the top.

Oh well, it’s a cute bag!
I think I did it on 60 last time! I’ll try felting by hand next time I think!

Cowl, not Simon.

I haven’t shared my latest knitting with the blog.
So, here it is:
It’s called “Pretty Thing” and it’s a Yarn Harlot pattern. You can get it here.
It’s lovely. Here’s the knit down:
Pattern: Pretty Thing Cowl, from Yarn Harlot
Yarn: Violet Green Mulberry Silk & Merino 2ply Lace Yarn
Needles: 3mm circs
Modifications: Extra pattern repeat due to the finer yarn and thinner needles than suggested.

I like it. but I already need something warmer! I might have a go at something similar with some of the naturally dyed yarn I dyed a while ago: It’s a heavy DK, approx (I haven’t tried a swatch or done a WPI measurement, we will see...)

Ever feel like you’ve been led a merry dance?

I’m referring, of course, to the imminent nomination of Tony Blair to become President of the EU.
The BBC talk here about Number 10 lobbying his case. (Interesting that they recently reported that Number 10 said quite the opposite)
They also tell us that “Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg are reportedly among those that believe the president should come from a country that uses the euro and is part of the border-free Schengen Agreement.”
This all comes about as a result of the (yet to be ratified) Lisbon treaty. The Lisbon treaty which was originally vetoed by Ireland (they kept asking them until they got a “yes”) and the treaty which we in the UK were promised a referendum on, and then denied a referendum on – on the grounds that this treaty is not a constitution. But if it creates a president, and therefore a “United States of Europe” then what else is it but a constitution?
I can’t say, now that there’s all this talk about “President Blair” (cringe) that I’m surprised that we didn’t get to vote on it.
It all begins to fall in to place – all the international meetings, the interest in the peace processes in Ireland and the middle east, the very pro-European stance that he’s had from the beginning. Blair has been planning this for a very long time I think. Perhaps not exactly this, but something akin to it.
I think that the thing which most irritates me is that we could be represented by someone who we didn’t elect (EU President is not going to be elected like the US one is – though that could be fun!) and not only that, but by someone who has been accused of lying to the country about the case for war in Iraq.

Perhaps had he been seen to be more trustworthy then I would not think that this is of his making. But sadly I suspect that his hands have been itching at the thought of an EU president, that he sees the power he could wield.

So we’re all relying on the Czech Republic. If they declare the Lisbon Treaty to be illegal under their law, then it can’t be ratified by all 27 member states and it goes back to the drawing board. That process would take longer than to next May, by which time we will hopefully have a different government.

We can but hope.

Handspun Mittens

Okay, so I don't always post when I finish knitting something, but this one is special.

Way back in 2008 I was part of Secret Pal - this was one of my parcels I received some fleecy stuff to have a go at spinning.

I eventually turned it into this handspun yarn, in gloriously red-crimson-orange.

And then I did nothing with it for a long time.
Kicked into action by being asked if I had ever knit anything I had spun, I picked it up, wound it into a ball and looked for a pattern.


I couldn't find a pattern for a small enough amount of yarn (I hadn't spun much, and it was quite fine on average) so I wrote my own pattern.

You can download it by clicking here, or by going to the Ravelry Page for it.
Let me know what you think anyway!