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Wednesday 31 March 2010

Pages!

Oh, I am impressed with Blogger at the moment!

I've just discovered that we can now have pages on our blogs.

If you want some more detailed information about me and my family, then please go to this page. (If there's anything you think I should include, then let me know!)

If you want to see stuff for sale, then go to this page!

How cool is that!

Sunday 28 March 2010

Sorry for the confusion

I'm sorry if you've been getting notifications of blog updates from me.

I had this amazing idea to organise my Photobucket - I created new folders, moved photos and got everything sorted.

Then realised that by doing so, I'd broken all the links from my blog!

Sigh!

So I had to go through every post and redo the links.

It took me 3 days!

The things I do for you!

Monday 22 March 2010

Parenting

I've just had a huge row with Matthew for a comment he's made about my parenting on facebook.

Three years ago, Matthew was arrested for stealing a chocolate bar from our local Co-op. The Co-op is a minute walk away and is our local corner shop.

His excuse was: "I felt shaky and needed sugar."

I was so furious with him that I grounded him for a month. In our house that means you're not allowed out, you're not allowed on the computer or any of the games consoles.

I did this to teach Matt a lesson.

Last week, Alex was arrested for assaulting another teenager at school. I grounded him for a week.

Wildly different groundings and here's why.

Matt was at school at the time, so for six hours a day; he was at school with his friends. He walked to and from school with his friends.

He still defies me in that he smokes in the house, he gets drunk nearly every weekend and he has his girlfriend over to stay. He asks if his friends can stay with a moments notice and I usually don't say a word!

I don't ask him to contribute financially and I don't ask him to do anything around the house as he's rarely here. I paid for all of his college material and didn't ask for him to pay it back when he got his EMA (which is the whole purpose of EMA!) - I don't even ask him to show us what he's learning at that college and cook a meal once in a while!

I have been quite relaxed as a parent with all my children.

Alex is at home with me all day! He is not out wondering the streets, he has not been allowed to meet up with his friends when they finish school and Alex is sorry for what he did! Matt was sorry he got caught!

Matt has deemed me unfair in this decision. Well, when you're the parent Matt, you get to decide!

Saturday 20 March 2010

Bit of a catch up

Hmmmm things happen and I keep forgetting to add them in - you know how it goes! So I may come back and edit this post as I think of things (which, as I stated before; I hate other people doing LOL), but I'll try and remember it all before publishing the post!

First off; the 'Knitting Olympics' - Well, I failed miserably! I was knitting Mandala with the cobweb silk I got at Christmas. All was going well until my centre pull ball collapsed.

I then came up with the idea of rewinding the yarn to make another ball which I would knit from the outside. I got started. It took hours! I had to carefully detangle multiple snarls and knots. Unfortunately, I got right to the end and there was one knot I just couldn't undo and I had to break the yarn. I was gutted!

I kept knitting and was doing reasonably well until this week; I had left the shawl in my basket as I was working on something else for a while. I dropped my small project bag into my basket one evening and, unbeknownst to me; the zip got caught in the silk. I picked up the bag and pulled about six feet of silk before I saw it. I've fiddled but I can't draw back in all the silk and I've had enough of it.

I'm going to undo the shawl and work it in a heavier yarn. I'll either sell the silk on, or ply it in with something else.

* * * * * * * * * *
I've had a dreadful cough since Matt came out of hospital. My throat is so sore! I'm drinking several glasses of honey and lemon a day and taking painkillers regularly. I'm exhausted and fed up with the pain, so if it hasn't eased by Monday; I shall call the doctor!

* * * * * * * * * *
Alex told me a while ago that he wanted to see a dentist as he has a wonky front tooth and wants it fixed. I finally found somewhere and took him along.

While talking to me about treatment (Alex requires braces) the dentist told me I needed to see a dentist myself as I had visible gum disease.

I panicked!

I haven't seen a dentist since I was 16. I was scared quite badly as a child and as soon as I reached an age where I had a choice; I stopped going!

But I finally plucked up enough courage to make an appointment and go myself.

The dentist said I would benefit from visiting the hygienist (who would clean my teeth properly and teach me how to care for them), but other than that; I had 'good teeth'

I visited the hygienist this week, she took a lot of built up scale off my teeth. It was a very uncomfortable procedure and my teeth were very sensitive and really ached for a couple of days afterward.

I found this quite distressing as I've never suffered from pain in my mouth before. So people on twitter (luffs ya Claire) had to put up with a lot of moaning and complaining this past week!

* * * * * * * * * *
I am selling my Ashford Joy. I haven't used it at all since buying the Rose. I did consider keeping it purely for use in the camper, but space is limited in the camper really and it's easier to pull out my knitting than it is to set the wheel up (even a wheel as ready to go as a Joy).

I have everything that came in the original box (which is also included), as well as 4 extra bobbins, the WooLee Winder with five WW bobbins, all the receipts are also included.

I would like £450 for it. This price does not include postage. I am willing to catch the ferry over to Portsmouth/Southampton/Lymington to meet a buyer at my own cost and I'm also willing to transport it to Wonderwool. I will post, but the buyer must pay all shipping costs.

So if you know anyone after an Ashford Joy - send them to me!

I discovered that I don't need to take a wheel when we go camping because look what I can do!

When I first started spinning; I was told to learn on a spindle first as it would teach me control and how to draft properly. I was totally against it; I didn't like the look of the, they seemed slow and clumsy, awkward and they just weren't a wheel!

Then I saw a couple of people spinning on spindles over the last six months or so and slowly became intrigued.

Rachel agreed to loan me her spindle (made by a local man called Ian) so that I could practise in peace and this is my first attempt! I know own this spindle and I have placed an order for a Trindle too!

Friday 19 March 2010

Baby Camel Multnomah

A short while ago; my friend Claire and I decided to have a quick KAL.

I decided to use the baby camel handspun and we started Multnomah a couple of weeks ago.

I finished it at the beginning of the week and it's turned out lovely!

Pattern: Multnomah
Yarn: Handspun
Time: 8-03-10 - 14-03-10

I also had a go at felting! I made this adorable little bag for a spinning wheel and chucked it in he washing machine on a 90 wash

Pattern: Felted Spinning Wheel Bag
Yarn: Handspun Merino
Time: 5-03-10 - 8-03-10

Monday 15 March 2010

Fluffosity

I've updated the shop a few more times since it opened.



The Great American Aran Afghan

I never got around to showing you the full blanket.

I managed to snag a quick picture today.



Yes, that's my Mum - *sigh*

Saturday 13 March 2010

Home Education

I got a call yesterday; Alex was being suspended from school for fighting.

Apparently some kid called Alex a vampire due to the way he dresses and looks - Alex is 6ft, long dark hair, skinny, wears gothic clothes and a long black leather coat.

When I asked what would happen to the kid, I was told he would get a 'telling off' but that if Alex was going to dress 'wildly different' then he would have to put up with the comments. I stated that Alex wears school uniform like everyone else and is usually looking a lot neater than most of the other lads. The teacher also stated that Alex being "freakishly tall" didn't help!

I informed the teacher that they should be encouraging diversity not singling out those who are different. He then went off on this spiel about how they'd have to monitor everything that anyone says and that if Alex couldn't handle comments; he needed to grow a thicker skin.

I then said the school was two faced; it sends home any child who goes to school with 'unnatural' coloured hair and yet their are two teachers (that I am aware of) who have dyed their hair an 'unnatural' colour. I believe the deputy head mistress has purple in her hair...

While I understand and agree that Alex needs to be punished for physically attacking this lad, I don't understand why he's getting away with calling Alex a name (which he admitted to) but apparently that's ok!

Alex eventually turned up home after a couple of hours and seemed approachable (I've learned that you have to wait a while before you can get any sense out of him) so I enquired about his whereabouts for the previous few hours.

He said he'd been waiting for the school to return his St Christopher necklace.

It turns out he asked his PE teacher to keep it for safety during a PE lesson before half term. He forgot to get it back off her and has asked her for it several times since, everytime she has told him she’s “rather busy at the moment.”

They (the PE dept) have admitted they don’t know where it is. The head of the dept had been e-mailed.

I went absolutely bananas. The St Christopher was left to him by my dad who died on my birthday two and a half years ago, he gave it to the teacher to keep it safe

I phoned the school and was put through to the Headmaster's PA who immediately went to the PE dept to find out what was going on. Then I get a call from some pillock who knew absolutely nothing about it, informed me that Alex had been rude today and that he’d only been down twice for it - um, no, he’s asked for it every time he’s seen that teacher. Pillock says ‘well it was before half term’. I says ‘I don’t care if it was before Christmas!’

Then I asked why he was phoning me instead of Miss PA woman, or even the PE teacher in question. Turns out Pillock isn’t even the head of the department and is just sticking his nose in and Miss PE teacher had, conveniently, gone home. I said I would be at the school at 8am tomorrow morning. He said ‘You have to call and make an appointment like everyone else.’

I said ‘I am, see you tomorrow morning at 8am. Good day to you.’ and hung up. Then I called Reception and told them the same thing.

Miss PA then calls me back, unaware Pillock had called me, she’d been waiting for him to call her but Reception had contacted her after I had called them.

I apologised for being rude to Reception (but not Pillock) she said that going down before Reception was even open is pointless and it would be manic in the morning anyway. She is going to call me before 9am and if she doesn’t I am welcome to go down there all guns blazing. I said I definitely would and that I would take it further if it doesn’t turn up - Alex has already accused this PE teacher of theft so I’m sure they understand what I mean!

She was true to her word, she called me at 8.45am this morning - turns out the Head of the PE dept (the one who was e-mailed) had it all along. It was placed in an envelope and left at the Reception desk for me to collect.

Alex bought up the subject of home tutoring again yesterday - it is something we have thought about on occasion and after his first exclusion from the school (he verbally assaulted a girl, she physically attacked him along with about ten of her friends and he got excluded for 3 days because she's just had a baby!); I said that if there was anymore trouble, I would seriously consider pulling him from the school!

Well, after the teacher called me about the fight this week, he spouted off all the "We'll have to see about getting him some support in school" which is exactly what I requested when Alex started at that school. I had that head-meet-brickwall feeling.

Alex has decided he positively hates it there, he's had enough of the teachers and students and the way the school operates.

So, when I went in this morning to collect his St Christopher, I also left a letter for the headteacher asking for Alex to be removed from the register as he would now be home educated!

I must admit to being terrified about my decision. Alex and I are very close, we can have a right laugh, but I don't know the first thing about home education. I don't know what I should be teaching him and how I go about it. There are loads of websites out there, but they seem to contradict each other in some ways. I suppose it's easier as he's got all the basics down, I just need to find stuff to keep him occupied for the next couple of years!

Wednesday 10 March 2010

What they teach 14 year old boys at school

My son came home with this piece of paper today - I thought I'd share it with you.

50 ways to show someone you love them other than having sex.
  1. Give them your last Rolo.
  2. Say "I love you"
  3. Tickle them
  4. Pick them a flower
  5. Send them a romantic txt
  6. Flirt
  7. Kiss when people aren't looking
  8. Name a star after them
  9. Take them to places that mean a lot to them
  10. Watch a romantic video together
  11. Be with them when they are upset
  12. Take them to the place where you first met
  13. Organise an 'I love you' message out the back of a plane
  14. Help them with their problems
  15. Go for a romantic walk on the beach
  16. Give them loving cuddles - even in the street
  17. Make sure they are safe
  18. Write them a poem using their name as a subject
  19. Make them a walkway to a dinner table using roses and candles
  20. Buy them a piece of the moon
  21. Compliment them and make them feel special
  22. Go paddling on a summer's day together
  23. Leave romantic notes on their pillow
  24. Cuddle each other and fall asleep in front of a fire
  25. Hold their hand
  26. Write their name in the sand
  27. Run them a bath
  28. Learn to say 'I love you' in 10 different languages
  29. Make a CD of their favourite songs
  30. Write their name with a sparkler
  31. Throw them a surprise party
  32. Phone them every day
  33. Listen to love songs together
  34. Do something fun and have a laugh together
  35. Support and offer them advice
  36. Share strawberries dipped in chocolate
  37. Share secrets
  38. Decorate their room/house in all their favourite things
  39. Take them on surprise trips
  40. Hold them and let them know you care
  41. Send them flowers at college/work
  42. Cook them their favourite meal
  43. Be open and honest
  44. Make something for them
  45. Take an interest in something personal to them
  46. Listen to their problems
  47. Be a shoulder to cry on
  48. Be willing to compromise
Yes, I know that's only 48, but on the piece of paper he had; they'd missed out the number 16 and had written 'Cuddle each other and fall asleep in front of a fire' twice.

This was given to a 14 year old boy!

Erm.....yeah

Sunday 7 March 2010

Fluffosity

Ladies & Gents....well those of you that keep coming back anyway LOL.

Fluffosity opened today.

I spent a happy afternoon playing wih oh-so-soft BFL, splashing colour about all over the kichen and I ended up with:

I'm really pleased with the four that I did and I'm looking forward to doing a whole lot more tomorrow. I must order some more colours too as I've only got red, blue and yellow!

Within half an hour of the shop going live, my friend Claire e-mailed me to ask if I'd spin the green one up for her as (due to medical reasons) she doesn't spin. Unfortunately, Debs then went and bought it out from under her!

I'm so excited to open my shop and have interest immediately!

I love a good dessert!

On Monday evenings a group of us meet at various different places to sit and chat and craft and chat about crafting.

Monday this week I met up with Rachel and Rah (that's the other Rachel, it's easier for you lot if I call her Rah lol) at Table Table. We all had a meal and as I was absolutely starving; I ordered the 'Ultimate Sharing Sundae!'

It was humongous!

It had fudge brownie at the base, a couple of profiteroles, chocolate fudge truffle ice cream, vanilla ice cream all topped with whipped cream, hot chocolate sauce and two flakes!

Well, I managed about two thirds of it, so I gave Rah a clean spoon!

It was delicious!

Tuesday 2 March 2010

My Humbug lace weight

I thought I'd show you lots of pictures of this because I'm just so proud of it!

Please feel free to let your eyes glaze over if you've already seen these pictures plastered all over Ravelry, twitter and Facebook LOL

GoSDTC

That stands for Guild of Spinners, Dyers, Tea-drinkers & Cake-eaters!

Helen came to visit over the weekend and we had a great time!

We were so busy spinning, chatting, eating cake and drinking tea; we didn't leave the house all weekend!

Here is Helen spinning on her new wheel:

While she was here she had a play with my drun carder and is now on the lookout for her own LOL

I took the weekend to finish my humbug

and ply the two singles together.

I'm so pleased with how well this turned out! I ended up with two skeins of two ply lace weight yarn, 42WPI and a grand total of 1473.2 metres/1611.11 yards!

Hmmmmmmm what shall I do with it?