Thursday 28 January 2010

I have the patience of a 4 year old ....

BT sent me a text message - the day after my internet was supposed to go live - to say that they were very sorry but it was now going to be 02 February 2010 !!!!!!!

What more can I say ....

But at least I am getting oodles of knitting, sewing etc done.

Tuesday 19 January 2010

BT have &&***%% ed up again !!!!

So we are currently internet less yet again. It seems, from my hours long discussions with the denizons that inhabit BT world, that we have actually been using the previous tenants' internet connection !!!!! as BT had completely forgotten to set ours up after the move. They are such a bunch of dipsticks, the only reason we stay with them is that the service, once it works, is the best of a pretty sorry bunch to be honest.

So we're going to be off the net until 25/01/10 - hopefully so long as BT don't find something else to make a pigs ear of. So I'm having to check emails and update blogs at work during my lunch hour.

I'm currently working on curtains at home. Finally managed to get my sewing machine set up on the table. It's an old Janome that my Mum gave me. Electronic all singing and dancing and bloody heavy :) That's why Mum gave it to me as she can no longer carry it around. It's a nifty piece of work and cost her £1400 around about 1982 so it's not rubbish. I've had so much fun playing with the different feet. The overlocking foot makes it so easy to overlock the edges of your fabric without the thread disappearing into the shuttle and jamming the whole shooting match, every five minutes.

So I bought curtains at a Laura Ashley sale for the living room and our bedroom, and the long living room curtains just needed taking up a short amount but the bedroom ones were 72 inches long so there's enough spare material to make a few cushion covers with.

I bought Amber some lovely!!! material which is covered in skulls with rose garlands around their heads. She's into all of this 'Goth' stuff by the way, so she thinks they're wonderful. I think they'd give me nightmares!!! Her window is very small so one length of material covers it and I'm going to put tabs on it to go on the curtain pole as I can't be bothered with faffing around with header tape.

Knitting wise, I'm working on the first square of my Debbie Abrahams mystery blanket - the yarn is lovely and soft but is also very easy to split, especially as I knit left handed which means the twist in the yarn has a tendancy to loosen off as I go.

I'm also working on a design of my own for a scarf in Teal Green with Light Green intarsia squares along its length. Once that's finished I will embellish each square with a stitched on felt flower. I made a scarf for Alex with felt dinosaurs on it and received loads of admiring comments along with requests for more girly ones. Although I have a feeling we may be running out of cold enough weather to wear them but then I can always stock up for next winter and put them onto Etsy or Folksy as my other half keeps telling me to do.

Hope you are all keeping well and I'll catch up with you all whilst I'm at work for the timebeing.

TTFN

Monday 11 January 2010

So Sorry Allison

I went and credited Barbara with my lovely Secret Santa pressies when it was you Allison - I am so sorry but the comments still apply. Thank you so very, very much. You brightened up my little world of slowly increasing depression before the move.

Sunday 10 January 2010

New home, Secret Santa and Snow

Hasn't it been exciting? For the first time in yonks we in the very South East corner of the country have finally had heavy snow !!! I have to say here that when everybody else in the country was moaning about how wet it was in the summer, we had a lovely sunny summer for most of the time. We tend to have totally different weather to everybody else and that's just our little bit. For instance, when the snow started for most of the country in December we didn't get any. When people were sending in photos of huge drifts and snowbound cars to the TV stations, we had a dribble of snow on the hills. But now we've got snow everywhere - and the college Ivan works for has shut and Amber's school has shut ..... but poor Alex's school doggedly stays open and the Council I work for insists that everybody must make every effort to go to work as the work we do affects the lives of the public :( So no duvet days for me unless it snows so hard there's no way of getting the car out or the buses stop running.

We are fairly settled into our new home now. Still the odd box to unpack and various items have gone missing - but I've got my craft cupboard under the stairs sorted now so that I can easily access all my yarn so that's me sorted :)

Still got to get my Wii unpacked and set up. I'll probably wait until the horrible duo are in bed tonight.

And my Secret Santa - thank you Barbara so very, very much. The hat and gloves have been totally invaluable in this awful weather and I so can't wait to use the other goodies in the box.



These stitch markers are beautiful and will come in very useful when I start sock knitting as that's one of my unofficial resolutions for 2010. To knit myself some scrummy yummy socks.



I've had a go at beadwork previously, but never making jewelry. I've made a beaded needle pot and a beaded swan hanging thingie, but never a necklace, So I'm really looking forward to making this and whenever I wear it I'll always remember where it came from. Things like this are so much more special, I think. Whenever I look at my dragons (I collect dragons) I can remember where each one came from if they were bought for special occasions. Especially the ones that were given as presents or bought on holiday. Visual reminders of great times.



A yummy chocolate reindeer and from Hotel Chocolat as well - the handmade chocolate tasting box company - I'm in heaven. I've had their tasting boxes in the past and they are sooooo wonderful. I'm saving this for a warm evening in front of a great film with the kids firmly fast asleep.










The fingerless gloves that have already seen a great deal of use. Can't find the hat at the moment - it's in one of the boxes left to be unpacked. I shall have to do a hat hunt later so I can wear it to work tomorrow. I especially love the twisted stitch detail that runs up the glove and around the thumb - looks very elegant.












Nude Ewe 100% wool double knit and it's so totally gorgeous and huggable. Not sure what I'm going to make with this yet but I can tell you it's going to be something luxurious for me as I know I will appreciate and look after it. That's the only problem with knitting things for others I think, is how well they will care for it. I made the scarf for Sarah because I know she will care for it properly. But to be honest, when I'm knitting for the kids or family I do tend to use the cheaper yarns that won't break my heart too much when they end up covered in mud or oil (brother has his own garage)











Oh my gosh this Fybrespates yarn is just so wonderful and the pattern to go with it, the dropped stitch shawl - I am definitely going to be casting this on very shortly now that I've found my knitting needles. I just love the colour and the pattern.

Barbara, I can't thank you enough for all of this. It's as if you've looked into my mind and found everything that makes me tick and brought it to life. I feel myself so lucky to have found such wonderful new friends - I've quite forgiven HipKnits as their awful customer care has led to this. I still won't be buying anything off them though :)

Anyway, I've also joined Debbie Abrahams secret blanket club and I've received the first parcel and cast on the first square. She gives alternatives for some of the squares but I am determined to knit the originals all the way through. I'll post them on my blog as I finish them and when I remember !! :)

Anyway Happy New Year to all of you - thankyou for being such brilliant friends and bloggers and here's to a blogging 2010. Let's keep it going :)