The end...

Today is the last day of 2009.

It was also the last day of life for a cat that was killed on the road outside my house this afternoon.

He was a beautiful silver tabby with a wobbly saggy belly and a gorgeous choochy face. He wasn't a young cat, but he had a lovely coat and was obviously loved.

He didn't die immediately. He made it to his feet and ran into my neighbours front garden where he collapsed. He was still alive...for a while. He died in my arms wrapped in an old towel while I told him it was ok.

The driver didn't even stop.

After some argument with the Highways Division and the RSPCA (they both said they couldn't collect him because he was on "private property" - they basically told us to dump him in the road and THEN they would collect him!), then a quick phone call to Pets At Rest an arrangement was made to come and collect him. They will scan him for a microchip and inform the owner if they find one.

Twitter Party

Are you going out tomorrow night? Are you on twitter?

We are having a twitter party, come and join us.

It will run all day to cater for the twitter users around the world. The idea is to come along, drink loads, have fun, craft (but be prepared to undo your work the next day!).

Use hashtag #CNYP (Crafty New Year Party). By the way, you can find me on twitter here.

Her name is Kirsty

Look what's arrived:

Within an hour, I knew her name was Kirsty!

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting

I seem to be waiting a lot at the moment.

Jess has a stomach bug and spent over four hours vomiting every 20-30 minutes last night. I got a total of 4 hours sleep before I had to get up and go to a nail appointment.

I called Parcel Force Solent this morning to be told that my Majacraft Rose would be going direct to the Isle of Wight depot. As the internet had been telling me my wheel was en route to the delivery depot, I assumed it would arrive today (it has been en route since Christmas Eve).

I went to the local depot today, they don't have it and according to them, it was last tracked in Coventry!

This is what the tracking system says:

28-12-2009	18:00	National Hub	Sorted in hub
24-12-2009	11:47	International Hub	En route to delivery depot
24-12-2009	11:00	International Hub	RELEASED WITH CHARGES
18-12-2009	08:35	International Hub	AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGING
18-12-2009	08:35	International Hub	AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGES
18-12-2009	08:27	International Hub	Arrived in destination country
16-12-2009	09:45	Delivery Agent - AUCKLAND - PTT	Left origin country
15-12-2009	14:35	Delivery Agent - NEW ZEALAND	Collected from customer

See the second line down? 'En route to delivery depot' but now it's at the National Hub!

To say I'm confused would be an understatement, especially as it hasn't moved in nearly 24 hours.

Oh, this is an Express 24 parcel too!

Some Mojo

I finished these socks - they're fab and I love everything about them!

Pattern: Mojo
Yarn: The Knitting Goddess Same Difference Sock Yarn in Gothic Love
Time: 9-12-09 - 28-12-09

I have come to the conclusion that I just can't do toe up socks - they don't seem to fit right, I never know the right place to start the heel and short row heels are horrible. I need to find a good recipe for a toe up heel flap sock, but even then; I can't find a decent stretchy bind off and I've tried them all!

The Good, The Bad & The Totally Exhausted

As we were preparing for today, I discovered that I hadn't bought a gammon joint! I'm extremely annoyed about this as everyone likes gammon and I could've sworn I bought some a month ago!

I made it in time to collect Mum, I even managed a shower beforehand.

We got back, kicked all the kids out of bed and opened our presents.

I did quite well this year! I got a sewing box from Kyle

Sock yarn from Helen

I participated in two Secret Santa swaps on Ravelry this year, I got a hat from the UK RAK one

and a whole bundle of stuff from the Lime Green Jelly one! Some sock yarn, a keyring with instructions for kitchener stitch on, some chocolate (which is always good, but I'm not sure when it's mint and chilli flavoured LOL) and 3000m of cobweb weight pure silk!

I got some lovely sheepskin slippers from Mum

and this adorable elephant from Mason which came in a personalised box!

Merry Christmas

I'm posting this from my blackberry so I have no idea if it works lol!

Wheel update: customs cleared it at 11am Christmas Eve & last time I checked; it was en route to the local depot which is in Southampton. Due to the festivities; the depot is now closed until Tuesday. I can call Tuesday morning, pay the charge & delivery will be on Wednesday.

Someone I talk to on twitter has offered to collect it for me & bring it over to the Island - I might take her up on her offer!

The baking is all done (although I need to ice both the chocolate & coconut cake!) But I might make muffins Boxing Day as I have blueberries!

There is something wrong with my toes. Every day, when my feet get warm; my toes itch like crazy! There's no redness, swelling or signs of psoriasis, but they itch & after a while it feels like I've got pins & needles without the pleasant numbness. I mentioned it in passing to my GP who seemed slightly mystified, but told me not to worry - I think I'll have to go back in the new year!

I really should go to sleep - I've got to collect Mum at 8.15 & that's only 5 and a half hours away!

Good night & Merry Christmas xxx
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Merry Christmas

I'm posting this from my blackberry so I have no idea if it works lol!

Wheel update: customs cleared it at 11am Christmas Eve & last time I checked; it was en route to the local depot which is in Southampton. Due to the festivities; the depot is now closed until Tuesday. I can call Tuesday morning, pay the charge & delivery will be on Wednesday.

Someone I talk to on twitter has offered to collect it for me & bring it over to the Island - I might take her up on her offer!

The baking is all done (although I need to ice both the chocolate & coconut cake!) But I might make muffins Boxing Day as I have blueberries!

There is something wrong with my toes. Every day, when my feet get warm; my toes itch like crazy! There's no redness, swelling or signs of psoriasis, but they itch & after a while it feels like I've got pins & needles without the pleasant numbness. I mentioned it in passing to my GP who seemed slightly mystified, but told me not to worry - I think I'll have to go back in the new year!

I really should go to sleep - I've got to collect Mum at 8.15 & that's only 5 and a half hours away!

Good night & Merry Christmas xxx
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Customs = FAIL

Well, it's the day before Christmas Eve.

Tomorrow is the last possible day for parcel delivery.

My wheel travelled halfway around the globe in 3 days.

It's still sitting in customs.

Merry Christmas.

Socks

I like socks, I really do. I enjoy knitting them and they keep my feet warm!

Unfortunately, I don't appear to be very good at it.

I'm making Mojo, because they're freaky and cool! I'm also making them in Joy's Same Difference yarn.

They were coming on great, I turned the heel and was making my way up the leg when I decided I better try them on.

Naturally, I've made them too bloody short! I do this every single time! I measure and measure, put them on, take them off, knit a few rows, put them on again and I reckon they're long enough so I turn the heel, work a bit of leg and find that no, they weren't long enough!

So now I have to frog two days of work, back to before I turned the heel!

Time is running out!

I had an e-mail at the last week telling me my Rose was in stock.

Later, I received the tracking info and I've been impatiently checking it every day....several times a day!

It was picked up at 2.35pm on the 16th (I assume that's local time?). It left New Zealand at 9.45am the following day.

It arrived 'overseas' at 8.27am on the 18th and was listed as 'Held for clearance' 8 minutes later.

That's where it still is :(

I'm hoping that this is just because it's the weekend and no one updates the website at weekends and that it's not still being held.

How long does it take to clear something? Where exactly is it being held? The New Zealand website doesn't say and there doesn't appear to be any other way to track it.

There is less than a week to go until Christmas Day now and (after dating a postie several years ago) I'm well aware how much post Royal Mail have to deal with during this period.

The race is on - will my wheel arrive before Christmas Day?

I won't get it until Christmas Day if it does as Alex has decided it should be stolen and hidden until Christmas Day *sigh*

Tradition

It's the time of year that gets everyone talking about TRADITION! Do you have any Christmas traditions? I'd love to hear them.

We have a few. 12th December is tree day. 12th December was my fathers birthday - he would've turned 59 today and ever since 2007; his birthday has become tree day.

Here is our tree.

Gaudy innit? There's my Christmas Star on top and already presents underneath! I love it, but I'll be heartily sick of by Christmas Day LOL.

Other traditions include:

• Presents - these are opened once we're all up and Mum is here
• Baking of cakes - this is my job and I usually spend most of Christmas Eve in the kitchen making cakes and swallowing pills to cope with the back pain!
• a cooked breakfast on Christmas morning which my mum always cooks! Bacon, eggs, sausages, beans, bread, tea, hash browns, the list is endless and we drive my mum potty by drooling on her as she cooks!
• The drink starts flowing pretty much straight away, so Christmas dinner is prepared on Christmas Eve, all I have to do is try and turn the cooker on at the right time (alarms on mobile phones are the greatest thing evah!)
• I'm in charge of dinner as my mother usually works Christmas Eve and Christmas night (she works 10pm to 8am) so she sleeps for the afternoon.
• Noel's Christmas Presents! Everyone in the UK knows what that is for my International friends; Noel's Christmas Presents is a programme that is on Christmas Day and hosted by this man. It's one of those shows where someone surprises random people, for eg a woman hasn't seen her brother for 30 years because he moved to Australia when they were 18 and he'll be sitting behind her in the audience or something. I always bawl my eyes out watching it (last year I had the flu and there was snot everywhere - I got through an entire toilet roll watching it!)
• Dr Who! Nuff said!
• Lots of food, lots of drinks, lots of fun!

What do you do for Christmas?

The Great American Aran Afghan

I started the Great American Aran Afghan in September 2008.

It was supposed to be for Christmas that year for my Mum.

I was doing well and averaging about a day a square. Then I got fed up with it and started a few other projects and just never went back to it.

I finally finished it today!

I didn't do the border in the book. I just did a simple border of crochet trebles.

It looks fabulous.

I took pictures. Wrapped it in Christmas wrapping, stuck it on a shelf, then I put the card in my card reader.

The pictures haven't come out!

So, I'm afraid you are going to have to wait until Christmas to see it now!

Travelling

This weekend was the weekend I met up with Sarah to hand over the Kromski Sonata. No, I don't have my Rose yet, nor did I pick one up this weekend. But, just because I'm having to wait for my wheel shouldn't mean that Sarah does too!

I met her in Cheltenham, gave her the wheel, we wandered around Pets At Home (I bought Isis some food and a new toy) and then we had a quick cuppa in Sainsbury's.

Then I drove to Bath to visit with Helen and Iain. I stayed there overnight and Helen and I talked about loads of stuff!

I called Hedgehog while I was there for an update, they sounded very annoyed as apparently they've had a stock parcel go missing on it's way to them and they still don't know when they can expect more stock in! I've been waiting over 4 weeks now.

Helen and I have agreed to start a new project in the new year. We are going to make Sleeves In Your Pi. This is a Pi shawl with sleeves worked in.

But we're adding a little extra, we're going to spin the yarn for it first, then knit it.

We will start spinning on New Years Day and we're aiming to be finished by Woolfest which is June 25th!

You're more than welcome to join us. I will be posting regular updates here and Helen will on her blog and we also have a thread going on Ravelry's UK Spinners board.

I stayed overnight at Helen's and came home today.

I walked in and immediately blitzed the kitchen! It looks loads better and I'm very pleased with it.

Matt and I walked the dogs together this evening and we got chatting about his catering & hospitality course at college. We've decided that we're going to upgrade a lot of the stuff in the kitchen. I'm going to look into buying an oven with a couple of extra burners and an extra oven and we'll also look into new crockery and other stuff!

Great American Aran Afghan

I've been working on the Great American Aran Afghan for over a year now.

Today I finally knit the 20th square.

Now I've just got to sew it together!

Typical

Well, I caved and went for the phone.

This morning I had an e-mail from T-Mobile telling me that the phone is out of stock!

Yeah, figures.

Oh, this is gorgeous

If I was stupidly rich or stupid and rich I would buy one of these

This is a Martha wheel and is made by Watson Wheels. Unfortunately, it's costs $1500 and that's not including postage, customs and tax *sigh*

Cut me a break

I seem to be having one of those days, you know?

The Majacraft dealer got back to me and said not only had I missed delivery for UK before Christmas but apparently there's a backlog on orders to Majacraft anyway.

So I've had to cancel the order.

A woman complained on our local fibre crafts group on Ravelry a couple of months ago. She had attended a village fair that a few of us were demonstrating crafts at. This is her post:

"I was at the festival on Saturday and managed to get to see some spinning.

I was rather upset by the language and manners of one of the demonstators - a ‘lady’ in her 40’s with black hair and very long nails.

I assume that events like this are intended to improve awareness of your group and encouage new members. Foul language and attitude will not achieve this, and I hope that whoever is responsible for this group thinks carefully before future demonstations." This was posted when I was away camping for the half-term week - something everyone on Ravelry knew as I'd been talking about it for weeks.

First off, I'm 34! Secondly, i only spoke to a couple of people, I was polite, well-mannered and didn't even swear when my friends and I were alone.

Today this woman posts that she has a Majacraft Rose for sale with 12 bobbins and she wants £300 for it, but only to someone who doesn't already own a wheel.

I PM'd her and she messaged me back asking if I had a wheel. I said yes, but it was living in the camper and the Rose would be my only at home wheel. She replied that it was only to go to someone who doesn't already have a wheel, then miraculously; the wheel was marked as sold!

When someone else queried it; she claimed that I hadn't been the first person to enquire about it so I wouldn't have got it anyway.

This woman has no profile, no picture, no links to anything and has only posted 6 times on Ravelry, once on Joy's board, twice concerning this complaint and three times today concerning this wheel.

I'm beginning to think this is someone I know with a personal vendetta and I think I know who it is too - get over yourself hon, all you're doing is pissing me off!

I called T-Mobile again today and asked if I could buy out my contract, then upgrade.

No, I can't. I can buy off my contract and take out a new one, but I can only keep my number if I take it to another network and then transfer it back. I can't take out a new contract and take my number with me unless I wait until 6th January to upgrade!

I'm badly in need of retail therapy to cheer me up, but it'll mean running two contracts for a couple of months and having to use a new number on the blackberry for the next 18 months. I've had this number for years! Since I was with Simon which means I'm approaching ten years with this number!

On one hand, it's easy to keep a number, but on the other hand it'd be nice to have a mobile number that certain people definitely haven't got...

Decisions Decisions!

This has been one of those awful rotten days where nothing seems to be going my way.

It would be nice to get an e-mail from Hedgehog now to tell me I can go get my wheel this weekend - I've made arrangements to meet Sarah so at least she will have a new wheel for Christmas!

On top of all that, I bought 4 tickets to a raffle and I didn't win a single prize

Majacraft Rose

It's been four weeks since I registered interest with Hedgehog Equipment.

Needless to say, I'm a bit pissed off with the wait.

Last night someone suggested looking into importing direct from New Zealand where Majacraft are manufactured.

I found a dealers website, contacted HM Revenue & Customs to find out the import duty and VAT payable on a wheel and because it worked out as cheaper than Hedgehog; I ordered one.

I went off shopping and when I got home I was greeted with an e-mail from Paypal confirming payment, an e-mail from Vintage Purls confirming my order and a second e-mail from Vintage Purls informing me that the Majacraft Rose is:

"currently out of stock. This may cause a slight delay in delivery. Please accept our apologies and rest assured that we are working hard to rectify this."

I was baffled as the site had listed them as 'available' only a couple of hours before.

I went back to the site and now every single Majacraft model is 'out of stock'

Not impressed!

It hit the fan - again

You may remember my son, Kyle, having a break down in August.

Since then, he has been thrown out of college because they can't assure the safety of other students and the staff.

On Monday we saw a psychiatrist for an assessment. It all seemed to go well, although it was obviously upsetting for Kyle to discuss losing his temper and people being hurt as a result of his actions.

After we left, Kyle saw his friend Sophie and went off with her.

Everything seemed fine, so I went off to knit night as usual.

I didn't even make it to the pub! I got a phone call 15 minutes after I'd left; Kyle had flipped out and yelled in Alex's face. Matt intervened in an effort to stave off a fight and Kyle attacked him.

He caught Matt in a headlock and during the struggle; Matt was thrown against the doorframe. He banged his head and blanked out for a second or two.

He was shaken by the time I made it home (Kyle was nowhere to be seen), but appeared fine. I considered calling the hospital but decided it was unnecessary after Matt consumed half the kitchen without vomiting!

Operation Craft Room - Complete

As I reported earlier today; I have finally finished the Craft Room.

I have spent the day tidying, sorting, vacuuming then washing then vacuuming again and finally finally, it's done!

Here are some pictures for you (click em to make em bigger)

This is just inside the door:

This is opposite the door, you can just see Eric (my wheel), my stash and my chair:

This is the rest of my room, there's you guys next to the chair, my clothes rack with all my skirts on, my chest of drawers with printer, router, TV & DVD player on and in front is Isis in her bed:

It's FINISHED!

I have finished painting the craft room!

It looks great and I'm just letting the paint dry now before sorting it all and getting it exactly how I want it.

It should be an hour before the paint is dry.

I'll post pictures for you later

I have an announcement

I just thought you'd like to know.....

THERE'S A FLOOR IN THE CRAFT ROOM!!!

I found it today!

Amazing what you find when you tidy up LOL

Moan

I feel like having a moan.

I still haven't heard about the Majacraft Rose! I'm getting so pissed off with waiting and I realise that I couldn't have gone this weekend because Sarah wasn't available, but at least it would've been there and mine!

I decided that my breadmaker wasn't up to the task of making bread for a family of five and that I was going to get a food mixer and make bread in the oven instead. After much deliberation, I have chosen one.

Only to find out that it isn't in stock in the Island's one and only store, or the nearest one in Portsmouth. I guess I'll see if there are any available nearby when I'm ready to go and get the Rose.

I phoned T-Mobile to see if they would upgrade me early. I'm due to upgrade on 6th Jan and I thought 'I've been a good customer, I've been with them a few years. I pay at least £35 a month for my contract then 3 of the kids have contracts at £20 each...that's nearly £100 a month!"

But no, if I want out of my contract six weeks early, it's going to cost me just under £69!

Our X-Box 360 broke. It couldn't be repaired by the local whizz-kid and I certainly wasn't going to pay Microsoft £90 to repair it. So we decided to buy a new one. I found a good deal on Game's website and went to the store only to find out that they don't do the same deals that their online store does and they weren't willing to either! I really hate that!

Thankfully, Curry's said they'd do the deal!

My new blu-ray player, the one I bought in August and have already exchanged once due to a fault, has broken again and I've had to send it away for repairs. I'm very annoyed about this as I've just bought my first blu-ray DVD - Star Trek - and I wanted to drool over the quality!

I got outbid on a pair of moon & stars curtains that I really wanted for the craft room.

The craft room still isn't done and I've had enough of painting - the gloss is giving me a headache! I just want someone else to finish it off, move all the furniture about and sell my books so they're not taking up space anymore!

I'm doing a Secret Santa on Ravelry, I got told who my giftee is today. I searched, she doesn't have a blog, a wishlist and she hasn't answered the questionnaire so that people know what to send her! C'mon people, if you're going to participate, give a gal a clue!!

I feel very sad for my friend. She's going through a tough time at the moment and I feel really sad that things haven't worked out for her and her husband again. I can't tell you any more because it isn't my place to and I don't have her permission.

I know you read my blog Sweetie, I just wish I could help you both but I can't. But know that my heart bleeds for you and I'm angry at how unfair life is to some people! I am going to give you a big squishy hug when I see you next!

Moan over, go about your business

I would just like to add (a few hours after originally posting this) that I have just discovered a leak in Matt's room - just what I don't need!

Happy Birthday p/hop

Did I mention I hate waiting?

I sent Hedgehog a polite e-mail on Thursday requesting an update on stock, but have had no response.

I was seriously considering phoning P&M Woolcraft and asking him if he'd price match, but there's no point now as Sarah isn't available to meet next weekend so I'd have to wait until the following week.

Of course, that probably means I'll get a call tomorrow telling me it's in stock! If I do, I might just pay for it on my credit card then go up and meet Sarah in a few weeks, get the money for the Kromski from her and pay it back onto my credit card.

Ten Hours Later

I keep going in and looking at that skirting board...

I've completely changed my mind now, it looks awful - plasticky and tacky (I mean cheap, not wet paint).

Thankfully a big chest of drawers is going there (which is why I experimented there) and I won't bother with the rest of the woodwork; I'll just leave it white for now.

I'm going to start moving furniture around in there tomorrow in an effort to get some order in there and maybe even start moving the stash in there!

Entering another giveaway

Jackie is doing a giveaway on her blog for a pattern for these fabulous glovies

Aren't they great? It's very easy to enter this giveaway, details are on Jackie's blog here but hurry up, the offer closes at midnight tomorrow night!

Operation Craft Room - Update

I have been working on this, but it's taking forever and I'm so fed up with it and I just want it to be done already!

I've done about 70% of the walls (I'm having to do it in sections because the room isn't empty and I have to shift stuff around) and I wanted to see what the room would look like once I painted the wood.

So today I painted a skirting board.

The walls are white with a hint of pale blue and the wood is dark teal.

I really wasn't sure at first...

But I love it now! I just wish I could find someone quicker and with more stamina to finish the damn room!

Majacraft Rose

As I told you here, I recently had a chance to play with a Majacraft Rose.

I didn't get very long as it was the day I was leaving Karen's, although I did try and talk Karen into swapping hers for Eric's WooLee Winder - but she refused *sigh*

So I decided I would advertise on Ravelry to do a swap; Edward (my Sonata) with his 4 bobbins, his WooLee Winder and the WooLee Winder bobbins for a Majacraft Rose in as good a condition as Edward.

I got no response although I'm not really surprised; I don't think I've seen anyone advertise a secondhand Majacraft Rose!

But two weeks ago Sarah contacted me and scolded me by saying "Now you know I want a Sonata!" We teased back and forth and before either of us knew it, she'd agreed to buy Edward and we have made plans to meet at Hedgehog Equipments which is exactly halfway between us.

She can pay me for the Sonata and I can give that money to Hedgehog for a Majacraft Rose.

I chose Hedgehog because they're selling them for £50 less than anyone else in the UK! Unfortunately, they have none in stock.

They said stock would be a couple of weeks (that was from 13 days ago). I called them last Friday and they said that they hadn't even had the stock list in yet and didn't know what they would be getting in or when it would be arriving.

I hate waiting!

This is now turning into a monumental event. I'm going to go up on the Saturday (after they call to tell me there's stock) and as I'm driving right past Helen's house in Bath; I'm going to collect her and she's going to accompany me to Wales. There we're going to meet Sarah and possibly Gemma for what we're now calling "The Great Wheel Swap and Spin In." I'm hoping that anyone local to us will fancy meeting somewhere for a coffee and a Spin In too!

I shall stay at Helen's on the Saturday night and on Sunday I shall pop in to Karen's. When I left, I inadvertently stole her torch! Also, Jessica's moneybox elephant that she painted when we went to Bournemouth Stitch N Bitch is ready and Karen will collect it for me (from Donna who collected it from the shop!). I shall drop by, show off my Rose, give the horses a quick cuddle, trade a torch for a moneybox, probably have a cuppa, then come home!

Of course, this is all pencilled in - because we don't know which Saturday it's going to happen; we have to wait for Hedgehog to get stock.

Did I mention; I hate waiting!

Bake your own

I'm finding that as more and more time passes, I'm really beginning to dislike the taste of commercial bread. I much prefer the bread I make in the breadmaker - it's certainly more filling!

But, my breadmaker only makes loaves about a foot long. There are five of us and once we've all cut a slice, there's usually none left!

So I thought it would be better to bake bread in a loaf tin (or two) in the oven - that way I can make longer loaves that will hopefully last a bit longer.

But, I can't stand in the kitchen beating up dough (I remember my mother dented the top of the washing machine by thumping dough on it!) because of my back. So I thought about getting some kind of electrical mixer.

There are sooooooooooooo many!

I don't know what to get, do I need a high motor because I'll be using it to mix dough? What size bowl will I need? What else do I need? If I get a fancy one, will I use all the other bits?

I have an Argos store card and a catalogue which I can order one from, so have a look here and here

Which one would you recommend?

Christmas Challenge

About 3 months ago, one of the spinning group members set us a Christmas Challenge.

We had to spin something sparkly then use it to make a Christmas decoration.

I finally finished mine today.

I spun some bright white Merino into singles.

Then I plied one bobbin with some of this.

Another bobbin with some of this.

I had this.

I knitted it into this.

I just want to tell you about this quickly:

Fibre Arts Friday Blog Carnival
Go check out this blog post

Yarn destash

I decided that because I like to spin so much, I'm going to sell a lot of my yarn off.

I've just moved all of my laceweight yarn over to my Ravelry destash page, if you're interested; just let me know!

If you're not on Ravelry and you want to know what I'm destashing, then go to this post - most of it is lace, if you ask for something that I'm not selling, I'll let you know where I got it.

I'm a Fibreholic

If you live in the States, you get Phat Fibre, if you're in the UK you get Fibreholics.

I decided to go for a Fibreholics box this time, turns out I was the first to order a box.

It came today and I love it all (apart from one which is really scratchy, but I might have a go at felting that!)

Want to see pictures? Of course you do, it's what you came for innit!

Fibreholics box


An English Wool Blend called 'Pinks' from Six Swans


Corriedale - 'Copper Beach' from Sparkleduck


Superwash BFL from Colourful Designs


BFL from The Bear Necessities


A gorgeous Merino & Silk Ltd Edition mini batt called Hollyhock from Wicked Woollens


Falkland Wool from Green Eyed Monsters


Merino/Tussah Silk - 'Mystic' from Juno Fibre Crafts


Corriedale Top from Skeins


Lincoln wool from Sheepshape



and Superfine Merino in 'Wisteria' from Freyalyn

Isn't it all gorgeous - can't wait to spin some of this up!

Hyperlink to open in a new window

I've just learned a new trick today!

Do you remember when I told you how to create a hyperlink? Well, today I learned what to do to make that hyperlink open in a new window, like this!

First you need your link as before, let's pick good ol Google and because of my location, I'm going to pick Google.co.uk.

The link is \http://www.google.co.uk right (ignore the backslash though, it's the only way to make it appear without blogger converting it LOL)? So pick your word, highlight it and create your hyperlink - Google.

Now you need to find the HTML editor, it's different for each place - for blogger it's the tab next to compose when you're writing a new post.

You'll see a load of jibberish with funny symbols and stuff, but if you look closely, you'll actually see the stuff you've been typing.

Look for google, specifically for your google address written like normal, but with some other code before it, it will start with a left pointing <, the letter a, a >, then href.

Now you want to add a space then: target="_blank" immediately before >Google.

Click on the compose tab again to finish writing your post. Publish it and have a play!

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.