Busy, busy

You would think that during the holidays I would have plenty of time to myself and that I could blog everyday and have time on my hands. It has not been the case these holidays; I have not stopped, and the blogging was the first thing to suffer.

I'll try to go through things chronologically. I went for the hospital appointment. I did as I was instructed, but didn't receive any information on the results, so I'm guessing I'll have to have another hospital appointment to receive them. That evening I went to a knitting gathering and then Mara came and watched tv with us.

Thursday was the big spinning day, and that was fantastic! I learned a lot and Grandad enjoyed himself immensely. It was well worth paying for the private tuition and I made a lovely skein whilst I was there. (No photos today, batteries flat AGAIN!) We had a lovely dinner in a nearby Bistro and saw a pupil of mine who had bright pink tights on and she told me I was her inspiration, which I considered to be praise indeed. Since Thursday I have done some more spinning, but it's harder on your own.

Friday I went to work. Some pupils came in for revision sessions and I must say they were fantastic and it made me realise that I love my job for the kids and that whatever happens with the other job I can easily stay another year because the kids are so great.

Saturday was a very unusual day. Earlier in the week my mum had said she wanted a whippet. I looked everywhere and whippets are not cheap! I couldn't find any rescue whippets but plenty of retired greyhounds. We've had greyhounds before and we like them loads. I phoned one place and they had 75 dogs waiting to be rehomed. On hearing this, my mum said, "we've got to have one of them," so the decision was made. My mum and I went to get one. It took us ages to find the place because our navigational skills were shocking, but it was in a great location for the dogs because it was in lovely countryside.

We chose this dog who was called Fable, but who is now Roxie. She is gorgeous, a real softie and she is bonding with my mum, which is nice to see. I keep phoning to see how she is doing. So far, she hasn't had any accidents in the house and she likes lying down by the fire. All greyhounds are couch potatoes and she is the same. Roxie has a nice temperament and is friendly and placid.

Shona came back to stay with us for a few days. Sunday we went to the allotment and then chilled watching a dvd (The Bridge to Terabithia - I recommend it) and Shona did some craft stuff, which she just loves.

On Monday Shona and I went to walk some other retired greyhounds near here. These charities rely on volunteer dog walkers, so we volunteered and had a lovely morning with the dogs. I'm thinking of doing this at the weekends because it's really rewarding and good exercise. Later that evening Shona and Ezzie baked cakes. One cake was more successful than the other, but the funniest part was when Shona dropped a tub of flour everywhere. She'd just had her bath, but was covered in flour. It was like talc. I was laughing my head off.

Yesterday I took Shona back home and spent the day with my mum, grandma and Roxie. I had a nice day and then went to my reading group in the evening.

In the midst of all this I have done some knitting. More socks, and some progress on a baby cardigan. However, it's not as much as I had intended.

Early morning worry

So far these holidays I have been awake at stupid times in the morning and have yet to have that lie in that holidays are famed and designed for. As soon as things are on my mind, my sleep vanishes and I have to get up and do.

Yesterday I was up at 4am writing a CV. Today I am up wondering about the CV and covering letter I have since handed in. It's all out of my control now, but here I am wondering and worrying. I know when you go for another job, it should be something which is great if you get the job, and alright if you don't. I know this is the rational and sensible way to go about getting a job, but I have spent so long thinking about this job and drafting the covering letter that it's become a big thing in my life and I'm putting too much store on it all.

I'm also worrying about the hospital appointment I have today. To be honest, I don't understand what today's examination is all about, but it's another don't eat or drink anything test, which makes me think it can't be much fun.

The car is also going to the hospital (garage) today because it is not in a good way. I was so relieved when last Thursday came and the car managed to get me to and from work because each and every day last week I was never sure it would start up. The whole car situation is another worry and also linked to the possible new job because if I get the job I am definitely getting a better car. I could get a better car now but in my mind I can't justify it because I need a better job first. The irony is, of course, if I got the new job I really wouldn't need a car to get to work because it is so close to home.

I reckon tomorrow I'll be up at the crack of dawn again. But that will be more a Christmas Eve can't sleep excitement because tomorrow I'm learning to spin.

Easter message

Easter has seemed different this year. It has felt just too early in the year to be Easter and the bits of snow yesterday confirmed this further. Usually we see Shona over Easter, but not this year because I've not had chance to fetch her, so all in all it's been a little odd. I didn't get dressed or leave the house yesterday. Instead I pottered around, knitted a bit, watched some tv, did some reading. It was nice to do nothing in particular and helped me to recharge my batteries.
The camera at the hospital was alright. I'm in no hurry to do it again, but at least it's done.




I've been up to all sorts since I last posted. Once again, I've been buying sock yarn and extending the list of people I have to make socks for. I have some blue and white stripes for the Wednesday fan in my life, but I am most excited by the two 'Same Difference' yarns by the Knitting Goddess. The skeins use the same colours but in different quantities. I'm going to make some photographic negative socks in these yarns. Both socks will be different. The cuffs, heels and toes will be knitted in the contrasting yarn to the main body of the sock, and the other sock will be the opposite way around.

















I am knitting a pair of socks for me at the moment in some unique yarn dyed and spun by Caroline. This yarn is gorgeous and the colours are sublime. This yarn is perfect; all the stripes are the same width and colours consistent. I cannot quite believe Caroline has done this by herself with her hands and a spinning wheel. This yarn serves as inspiration for what can be achieved, but in the meantime it makes my spun yarn far too embarrassing to post here. On Thursday Grandad and I are having lessons about spinning and we are both excited about the prospect.




















I have finished another pair of socks recently. These are the Lorna's Laces Mountain Creek socks. The recipient remains unknown as these are a prize in a competition.




















On Thursday I went around to Mara's and did some yarn dyeing with her and fellow yarn junkies. We were dyeing alpaca sock yarn and I am very excited about the outcomes because it's all drying at Mara's. Afterwards we went knitting at Cocoa and enjoyed ourselves immensely. There was even a boy (well, man really) knitting and I got him started on the road to perdition by starting him off with a sock.



On Good Friday Ezzie and I went to the cinema to see 'Love in the time of Cholera'. Obviously I would have liked the film to be in Spanish, but it was a good film despite the English and we enjoyed it a lot.



Yesterday I started a cardigan for a baby for a friend. I don't like knitting baby things usually, but I'm going to see this as an opportunity to perfect my sewing up, which is usually far from ideal. I want to get it finished in the next fortnight.




















All this activity has been good because I've felt quite down in the last week or so. Work has felt extremely stressful during the last couple of weeks and many things have felt unresolved and it's been a negative place to be. I'm hoping that the holidays will allow the dust to settle. Whichever way I know how I feel about things and hope that some things change for the better.

Practice isn't making perfect

I've had the spinning wheel almost a week now, and I've done a little spinning every day, but at no point has my spinning improved. The last lot looks as bad as the first. I'm not giving up on it, but I realise this is something I need to be taught; it's not the sort of thing I can just pick up.

I'm not giving up on it though, despite it being difficult. I really was inspired the other day and Caroline has sent a photograph of the wool she's dyeing and spinning for me. The colours are gorgeous and I'm so excited by the prospect of some really unique yarn, custom made for me. I chose the yarn, the colours and she's going to spin it to my requirements (socks, obviously).

Ezzie's Grandad came over last night, and he was fascinated by it. He was working out how it works and he spent a good couple of hours thinking it all through. He is now wanting a wheel and lessons himself now. It's my job to investigate the possibilities and arrange some dates. I've got a feeling he'll end up with a wheel before me now.

I am still doing some knitting. The Jaywalkers for Rachael are finished, and are fabulous. I'm sure she will love them. I know I always think my latest pair of socks is my favourite, but these really are my most bestest favouritest socks ever. The only thing I don't like is that 76 stitches a round take longer to knit. I did the Jaywalker pattern before Christmas and this pair is better, especially on the foot, because last time on the flat part I still had 19 stitches, which was wider than the 19 stitches on the top pattern part, so this time I decreased further for the bottom of the foot for a nicer fit. This was pure chance, but the orange part ended up on the cuff, heel flap and toe, and I think this adds to the sock as well.

I've started another pair of socks. These are Lorna's Laces in Mountain Creek. I saw we had spirals from the beginning, but thought I'd counter that by using both ends of the ball. This hasn't stopped the spirals, just made them bigger. They're not for me, they are for the female winner of a quiz at reading group. Last year the winner got a jar of pickle. This year it's socks, but we will have two winners as I'm making a pair of socks for the male winner.

I'm actually waiting for a taxi at the moment; I'm off to the hospital for the camera down my throat. I only got the appointment on Thursday, so I've not had long to dwell. I feel like a gremlin because I wasn't allowed to eat or drink after 12am. It doesn't mention if you can clean your teeth, but I've decided it's best not to, so I am really self-concious about my breath. I can be awake or sedated, so I've decided to let them put me to sleep.

Beware the evangelicals!

Last Wednesday I went knitting to the Baa and had a great evening. I chatted, I knitted, my sock got a lot of attention and I showed off the beginning of Portia so that people realise I can knit big projects and can think beyond socks. At this meeting, I invited myself to join some spinners (Caroline and Lucy) on their trip to a special spinning place. I was more curious about what the place was like than anything else. I certainly did not go with any intention of becoming a spinner.

Anyways, Sunday comes and we all go there and have a go at feeling the different wools, and admiring the different colours and I was decidely unsure of spinning until we went in this shed with different types of wool from different sheep and it was at this moment that I suddenly 'got' the appeal of spinning. You start with a product and can taylor it to whatever you want. I particularly liked the Wensleydale stuff because it had a really strong and different texture. It's not soft like Merino, but has some property I just loved. Caroline pointed out it is 'shiny' and as incongruous as that might seem with the fleece of a sheep, she's right; it is shiny.

Now, I've always known Caroline to be an evangelical of the knitting world. Afterall, she got Louise (of the infamous sock denial) into knitting socks. But, I didn't realise that she was working her magic on me and had a grand plan. "I'll spin you some Wensleydale sock yarn and you can spin me something, " Caroline said. "Ok," I said, thinking I would be spinning with the drop spindle I borrowed from her some time since.

Little did I know there was another plan. Later on, we went for a nice drink and it was at this moment that I was being converted as Lucy and Caroline talked about spinning. Caroline said, quite innocently, "I've got a spinning wheel in the back of my car, you can borrow that." I thought about that and decided to give it a go. I didn't question that Caroline might have a spinning wheel in the boot of her car, afterall I have lots of yarn in the boot of mine. It seemed plausable.

It was only when we went to Caroline's car and saw it strapped in the back of the car like a child that I realised someone had planned this all the time, and that someone had purposefully put that wheel in the back of her car, thinking that I might be going home with it. And I'm so glad she did. Lucy set it all up for me at my house and I've done a bit of spinning every night since.
In fact, as this spinny place is near my work, I've been back and bought over 300g of Cheviot because I ran out on Sunday.

I'm no good yet, but I'm getting the idea and I like the idea of dyeing and making my own sock yarn. I think that would be cool and I love the idea of something completely original. I'll post pictures of my attempts next time (all batteries in camera dead at the moment, sorry). I have dyed wool before, so that doesn't scare me, and Ezzie said he would buy me a wheel as a belated birthday present, so my outlay would be minimal. Caroline, I promise you, I will spin and dye you some yarn some time this year.

Correction

I spelt Barnsley wrong in the heat of the moment.

Yesssssssssssssssssssssssss!

Barnlsey 1 Chelsea 0