The problem with insomnia

I suffer from insomnia - have done for years now.

Last night I was sitting here working on my Baroque socks and doorbell rang. Needless to say I was rather startled as it was 2.30am!

I got up and opened the door, there was a rather drunk girl standing there and she begged me to call her a taxi. I agreed to do so, but refused to let her in (I didn't want vomit on the floor, after all!).

I called ten companies before one answered the phone, he wasn't available and directed me somewhere else. They were available and said they would send someone in fifteen minutes.

I told the girl to sit on the bench opposite my house and wait for the taxi, then I shut the door.

I decided I would turn the lights off and go to bed - reasoning that if the lights were off, she would forget which house it was and not come back if the cab didn't turn up or something.

I heard a car pull up, a door slam and the car pull away and reckoned she had been picked up safely.

Half an hour later, my mobile rang. I answered it to be told "Taxi's outside."

I felt awful! She had obviously flagged down a passing cab with no thought for the poor driver who'd come out in the cold to drive ten miles to pick her up - ungrateful cow.

I explained to the driver what had happened, I don't think he believed me but at least he didn't have a go.

I think if I ever see her again, I'll give her what for!

Sewing

All thanks to Helen; I have caught the sewing bug.

I put a £20 deposit down on a second hand machine from my local Singer centre this week.

Last night, I got thinking - what should be in one's sewing box? I started to make a list, this is what I've got so far:

• A box to hold it all
• Fabric Scissors
• Fabric (duh)
• That stuff you put in quilts
• Scissors for everything else
• Stitch Ripper
• Threads
• Spare bobbins

Now I'm sure you sewers all have favourite things you keep for use with your sewing machine - please let me know what they are in the comments :0)

Casting on TAAT ML Socks

I've told you how to do TAAT socks using ML from the toe up, but to work TAAT socks using ML from the cuff down is different.

The cast on itself is very tricky.

Cast on your stitches for your first sock. I use a cable cast on.


Find the halfway point and pull your cable through between the two stitches so that your needles are parallel.


Now cast on half the stitches for the second sock.


Slide your stitches purlwise from the left needle to the right needle.


Now, using the cable cast on method, pull a loop through from stitch 1 & 2 (that's the end nearest the other sock not the needle tip).


Make sure that the first half of your second sock cast on is on your right needle and the single stitch you just made is on the left needle. You may want to bring in another needle here to aid with the rest of the cast on. For this next stitch, perform a knitted cast on.

Now you can continue on with your cable cast on for the remainder of stitches needed.


You have now cast on two sock cuffs!


Instructions for cable cast on and knitted cast on can be found here

Baroque - my version

I just started making Baroque, beautiful socks - but the instructions seem stupidly difficult (with all due respect to Janice King).

I came up with a cable-needleless way of doing the TCR and TCL stitches. I have listed my instructions in italics and put a strikethrough like this through their instructions that you don't need!

TCR
Method 2 (without cn): Sl3 onto cn tog as if to k3tog, sl sts back one by one purlwise, rotate cn counter clockwise 180 degrees so the first slipped st is leftmost on the cn, return 3 sl sts to left needle; yib sl1 as if to p tbl, insert the left needle into the front loop of the slipped st and k tbl, p1 tbl, yib, sl1 as if to p tbl, insert the left needle into the front loop of the slipped st and k tbl.

TCL
Method 2 (without cn): Sl3 onto cn tog purlwise as if to p3tog, now insert tip of left needle through front of all 3 sts like this:

rotate cn clockwise 180 degrees so the first slipped st is leftmost on the cn, remove right tip, thus returning 3 sl sts to left needle; k1, yif sl1 as if to knit, insert left needle into the back loop of the slipped st and purl it, k1.

My first attempt

A few weeks ago, we went to the New Forest, on the way home we went to Queen Elizabeth Country Park and Wingham Wool was there. I bought loads of cashmere and some dye.

Because I don't want to wreck my cashmere, I thought I'd experiment with some English Wool Blend first that Karen gave me when I told her about it.

Karen gave me this:

I added some of this:

It did this:

And I ended up with this:

Gorgeous colour! I'm dyeing some more right now, more fibre, more dye for a longer time - just as an experiment.

I've ordered a drop spindle and I'm going to practice using this.

A Handy Clap

I'd like to show you my very first finished handspun project!

I finished it just before we went away, blocked it the night before and got to wear it while away - it was very snuggly and although it's a bit rough around the edges, I love it.

Here is my handspun Clapotis!

Lots of this and a bit of that!

I've been so busy!

I'll try and squeeze everything in this post - so be warned; it's going to be long!

We finally got around to testing out the camper! Mum, Jess, Alex and I stayed at a campsite in the New Forest. It was a very basic site and we didn't opt for an electric hook up, but it went quite well.

Mum slept in the camper and the kids slept in the tent with me - it was FREEZING! I barely slept because I was so cold! On the plus side, I heard the owls calling back and forth most of the night which was pretty awesome!

We went into Winchester on the Saturday to have a look around the cathedral - which was very impressive and then we went for a late lunch at the Red Rover.

If you're ever in the New Forest, on the A36 and you see the Red Rover pub - go in there for lunch! The staff was friendly, the food was cheap and most importantly; it was hot!

We went for a walk on some of the Forest land and managed to get close to some of the ponies - one of them then followed us back to the van which pleased Jess no end!

We declared that holiday a success and I booked a holiday for half term. I chatted with the kids and we decided that I would take Alex, Jess & Ellie away for half term. After discussion all over the place we decided we would visit Kerry and the kids for two days, Karen (who I bought my Kromski Sonata from) for two days then Helen for the weekend!

I decided that we would sleep in Kerry's house and Karen (who has a farm) said we could use her paddock but the weekend we were visiting Helen; we'd go for a proper campsite and because we froze our asses off in the New Forest; we'd go for a full hook up!

I booked it all, paid for it all and was seriously beginning to look forward to it.

Term was finishing a day early and Jess asked if she could stay at Ellie's on the Thursday night, I said it was ok. On Thursday she sent me a text saying that she had her clothes with her and would be going straight to Ellie's after art club.

I got a phone call at 8.30pm from Chele, Ellie's mother, asking if Ellie was here. Naturally, we quickly established that they'd both told us they were staying at the other's house and because they've been friends since nursery school; we didn't check!

I tried to call Jess; her phone was off. Matt, Alex and I immediately went searching and Chele started the drive over here. After an hour we still hadn't found them, Chele had run out of petrol and we were both frantic so I called the police and reported them both as missing! We found out that one of their friends had been saying at school that she was planning on running away from home.

Eventually I got the call that the girls had been found, they were very local and it was a matter of minutes before we'd picked them up. By the time we had thanked the police, shouted at the pair of them and the kids they were with and got them both back to my house, it was midnight!

Needless to say, they were both grounded and Chele said Ellie couldn't come with us over half term. A shame, but perfectly understandable and on the plus side; this meant we didn't actually need to take the tent!

Monday rolled around after a very long weekend of Jess moaning how bored she was as I had banned her from the internet, taken away her mobile phone and grounded her until she's 59!

We packed the van full to bursting and set off for Kerry's! We spent Monday night and Tuesday night with Kerry and the kids. Kerry had gained quite a few pets since we'd last seen her; two corn snakes, a gecko and a parrot. Here's a pic of Kerry, Phoebe and Jess dancing with the parrot:

This is the snakes eating their lunch!

It was great seeing them again and all too soon Wednesday arrived and we had to leave to visit Karen.

Jess loved it at Karen's. Karen lives on a farm with her mum, dad and brother and they keep sheep and horses. She has four horses, one is quite old and refused to have anything to do with us, but Sam, Chrissy and Inara loved all the attention (and apples) they got! We also loved meeting the sheep.

On Thursday evening, Karen took us to Bournemouth Stitch N Bitch at a ceramics cafe and Jess painted a money box elephant (unfortunately, it takes a week to glaze and fire it, but someone has promised to send it to us!).

While at Karen's she got to have a play with the WooLee Winder on my Joy and I got to spin on her Majacraft Rose - what a fabulous wheel! She had the lace whorl on it and I spun so fine, it was as thin as (if not thinner than) sewing thread! I totally fell in love with that wheel and wanted to steal it - I even offered to trade her my WooLee Winder, but she said no.

Friday came and we set off toward Bath to visit Helen. I met Helen at Fibrefest and we got on very well. We chat a lot on twitter and I thought it would be great to visit with her for a few days.

The campsite we had booked on was lovely, it looked like it was in the middle of the countryside, all green and neat. The toilets were clean and tidy, there were seperate sinks for washing up, water points every few yards, chemical disposal for camper toilets and they even operated a quiet time between 10pm and 8am! Bliss

We spent most of the time with Helen and her husband Ian. On Friday we had a pizza and a good natter.

On Saturday we visited the Roman Baths which the city is famous for. It was absolutely fascinating and completely exhausting!

That evening we had spaghetti bolognaise and watched Strictly Come Dancing.

Sunday was our last day, we spent it at their house. Helen had a go on my wheel and she taught me to sew using a sewing machine - something I've always wanted to learn, but never been very successful at - I even made a little bag to carry my WooLee Winder in!

It's lined and everything - you have my permission to be impressed; I certainly am LOL

Helen very kindly fed us roast chicken for lunch and we left their house about 4 o'clock for the drive home.

I have so many blog posts to catch up on, a week's worth of twitter, facebook and Ravelry waiting to be read, loads of laundry to do and I'm absolutely shattered!

I think I'll leave it until tomorrow - in the words of Scarlett O'Hara:

"After all, tomorrow is another day!"

Craft room

There was a slight hiccup in the Craft Room Project.

I came down with the flu - thankfully not Swine Flu, just the regular kind and all I could do was lie on the sofa and try to convince the children I was dying.

They didn't believe me!

I, thankfully, didn't die and today felt up to doing a bit more painting.

I have now given the first corner two coats of cheap crappy white and two coats of expensive Dulux Hints Cornflower - which is supposed to be white with a hint of blue.

What do you think? I know the picture rail needs fresh paint as the once white paint is cream, but I'll do that later.

I like it, but I'm worried it may make the room feel colder! Although with an open fire and lots of pics and lace work on the walls, that shouldn't be a problem!

Teens

do your head in!

Jess has a friend, Ellie, that has been her friend since they were both 3. They met at nursery and went through all 3 schools together. Jess often stays at Ellie's and Ellie often stays here, she says this is her second home and I'm her 'other mummy'.

As school has broken up for half term today, Jess had asked if she could stay at Ellie's tonight. I said that was ok and to nag Ellie's mother, Chele, for holiday money as Ellie is supposed to be coming camping with us next week.

So I'm sitting here at about 8.30 this evening, spinning away and listening to a David Eddings audio book and my mobile rings. It was Chele and my heart sank when she asked "Is Ellie with you?"

It turned out that Ellie had asked to stay here and Jess had asked to stay there. I had a chat with Chele to find out that another friend of theirs was apparently missing and the police had been called.

Matt, Alex and I immediately started looking. Matt had heard rumours of a party and we asked everyone we saw, but we couldn't find them.

Chele left her house and started driving over here - then promptly ran out of petrol so her mum had to go and collect her.

I called the police and reported both girls as missing. I'd been trying to call Jess all evening, but her phone was switched off.

The boys must've walked miles looking for them and I drove round and round frantically. Eventually Matt called - they'd been found!

Thankfully they're both ok and haven't even been drinking! We read them the riot act and bought them home.

Needless to say, Ellie is not allowed to come camping with us next week - I would've taken her, but Chele, understandably, isn't allowing her to go.

Funny how Jess is pissed at me for being pissed at her!

Continental Knitting

Unlike everyone else at my knitting group and my mother (who taught me to knit), I knit continental!

thisgoodlife has asked how to keep tension while knitting and purling continental so I knocked up this little tutorial for her and you.

I knit exactly the same way as everyone else except I hold the yarn in my left hand. The yarn is in my hand and then wrapped around my forefinger:

To knit, I insert the needle in through the front loop:

Then I move the right needle and the left forefinger slightly to get:

Now I pull the needle back through to make the new stitch.

To purl it's done in exactly the same way:

Insert Needle:

Wrap yarn:

Now move your forefinger down in FRONT of your work:

Move needle through to create new stitch, raise finger slightly and slide stitch off left needle:

You can now knit continental!

I love giveaways

I love giveaways that other people do!

I found out today that I've just won fibre from Marianne and today I entered a Blog-versary knitters giveaway - hop on over and enter yourself, it's very easy

Walnut Leaves

I finished another pair of socks today.

Pattern: Leaf Remains

Yarn: Knitting Goddess 4 ply sock yarn 75% Merino/25% Nylon

Colourway: Walnut Tree

I'm going to call them Walnut Leaves :0)

People

People are strange and completely baffling!

I've discovered over the last few years that people I thought I knew well, are a bit of a mystery to me.

I discovered that one person is actually quite prejudice and another is very shallow. I've discovered another is all gob and doesn't follow their declarations of "if I have a problem with you, I'll tell you." Apparently they'd rather ignore you completely, imply to others that you are ignorant and if addressed directly will bite your head off and be rude. I've discovered a person who'll slag other people off behind their back, but will be perfectly nice and friendly to their face. There are people who'll give you shitty news on your kids 18th birthday or when you are ill. I'm sure you know the type! The ones that'll use you for everything you can give them, then drop you when they find a new bloke or something.

I really don't get it!

Then you get other people, the one's that you don't know well, that live thousands of miles away but will bend over backwards to help you - even if they have their own problems and it's not convenient for them! The ones who'll call you every day to see how you are when you're ill or going through a tough time. The ones that seem to be on the lookout for decent people to be friends with. The ones that everyone seems to be looking for as a friend!

We need a way to differentiate between these two types because unfortunately, you can't tell just by looking at people and you don't usually find out until later!