Repentant blogger update!

I've done it again! Not posted anything for ages! DOH! And I've finished a couple of amigurumi projects too which I need to show off!



That's Hello Kitty who now has pride of place on top of my computer. I'm quite impressed that she actually looks like she should according to the pattern I used (downloaded it from Ravelry - it's by Crafts-by-AP). I've also finished the present for Eve, my niece, which is supposed to look like something out of Dr Who. Personally I just think it's a cute little blobby creature and I want to make one for myself in a lairy multicoloured wool! So here's a picture of him as well...



I'm now knitting some socks for Aston as my "Ravelympics 2008" project. I've nearly finished the first sock so I've got til 24th August to make the 2nd one! Should be easy considering he's only got small feet!

Still working on the baby blanket... it's taking bloody ages and I'm bored with it at the moment so I've started knitting things for Xmas presents as a bit of variety. So I've got a Jean Greenhowe Topsy-Turvy doll on the go (hoping to make 3 in total) and I've just got some wool to do a Preston dog for my Dad (from Wallace & Gromit "A Close Shave") Needless to say, the old ADKD has kicked in again! haha

Haven't been up to much in the way of blogging recently, to be honest. I keep thinking I must add something but this past week or so, I seem to have been suffering from increasingly bad bouts of carpal tunnel syndrome which has made it painful to type/knit/crochet/lift things and so on. But now I've got some new medication from the doctor so I'm hoping that will make a difference and I can put more stuff up on here!

Who knows - I may even get round to putting something on here that isn't about knitting!!!!

Miss Saigon, Olympic Fever and Wolves!

Well, I'm sat here listening to the soundtrack to Miss Saigon complete and unabridged on CD (I have it on cassette somewhere!) refamiliarising myself with the songs that I have loved ever since I saw the show in Drury Lane 17 years ago. It's good to hear it all again - I can't remember the last time I listened to these songs - and they still rip at the heart strings. Fantastic stuff!

In the meantime, while I'm thinking about going to bed, on the other side of the world, a ton of athletes are preparing to compete in the most gruelling competition of their lives. Me - I'm not that fussed to be honest! I won't bother watching the opening ceremony and as for the events, the only ones I ever really bother to watch are the track events and then I only really watch the sprint races. Oh well, another few weeks of boring telly! Maybe I'll reacquaint myself with the first 5 seasons of Buffy! lol

Went to Wildwood near Herne Bay today with my mum, brother, niece and my son. I've never been there before and it was really great. There are enclosures set into the woods and even though it was full of parents with kids, you could be round by one enclosure and it was so peaceful. We saw deer, stoats, weasels, beavers, otters, badgers, polecats, pine martins and red squirrels but by far my best bit was seeing the wolves. I absolutely love wolves. They are such beautiful animals. It was fabulous to see them that close up and particularly the 2 hand-reared females. It was amazing to see the difference in the reactions between them and the other 4 wolves living seperately as a pack and who still have a wariness of humans. It was like watching 2 dogs greeting their master! Wagging tails, ears down and big grins on their faces (yes, dogs and wolves can grin!) There were still some wolf behaviours being displayed but it was fascinating to see the difference between wolves that don't trust humans and those who are only alive because of them. Fascinating!

August already???

I am soooooooo tired today! I just can't seem to stay awake. I've been asleep on the sofa most of the day! Did a bit of crochet this morning (finished and stuffed the body for my Hello Kitty toy and made 1 and a half arms! lol) and about lunch time I was out of it!

I'm supposed to be going to ritual in Charing tomorrow but I'm so tired, I dunno if I'll make it. Haven't had a break lately because of Sefton's car accident and therefore him being unable to have Aston for the weekend like he would normally have done. I do understand that he's in pain and so on (he's cracked his collarbone and has whiplash and LOTS of bruising and is having nightmares) but I could really do with some time just to sleep and rest instead of having to run round after Aston all the time. Plus he's going to be missing his Dad before too long - or maybe not. He doesn't really ask for Sefton at all which is a shame.

I've got into crosswords again lately. Got myself a book of Arrow-words yesterday from the paper shop. Done a few already! Will work my way through the book at some point! Probably won't take me too long!

Got my Colinette Shimmer in the post today that I bought via Ebay. It's lovely - but then it's Colinette so it would be! haha! I love that company's yarns! Going to be a while til the rest of the stuff I've ordered comes through though thanks to the wonders of e-cheques. Still waiting on my interchangeable needles and sizzix die cuts from the States, 2 dinosaur patterns so I can make toys and matching jumpers for Aston and I have to pay for the Miss Saigon soundtrack on CD as well but I'm waiting for the person who's won my Dad's suit to pay up first!!!

Better do something productive now. Aston's in the bath and hopefully he'll go to bed after and then I can get on with some more crochet!

Bah bah dee ah bah dood'n dwee-ah, Feelin' Grooveeeeeeeeeee!

Bet you're wondering what the hell that's all about! haha! That's apparently what we're supposed to sing in the chorus of 'Feeling Groovy' by Simon and Garfunkel... God know's who arranged it!

Was my first time at Sheppey Singers and it was a good laugh. I haven't sung in that kind of way since I was in the choir at Grammar School aged 14! Me and my best friend only joined cuz they were singing a couple of cool songs, well, cool at the time! Every Loser Wins and How Deep Is Your Love were the songs, I think. Oh and we did Send In The Clowns.

Now, for someone who can't read music, I have to learn the alto part to 'Feeling Groovy', 'On My Own' from Les Miserables and 'I Get Along Without You Very Well' by Hoagy Carmichael. And considering I only know one of those songs, it's going to be fun! lol

Apparently I have to audition as well before I'm in proper! So I've been raiding YouTube for songs from Miss Saigon. It has to be my all time favourite musical! Just have to try and get the sheet music now as well.... Found one on ebay so we'll see if I win it or not. Fingers crossed cuz there is a song that is absolutely bang on for me! I'm going to have to see if I can find my copy of the soundtrack. Might be in the shed... Joy!

Well, I'm off to do some crochet (yes, I've taught myself to do the basics!) and scoff potato wedges way too late in the day! lol

Getting the hang of it!

Well, after many, MANY attempts, I am finally getting the hang of this crochet lark! Well, a few of the basic stitches anyway. I've still got to get the tension thing down pat but when I've figured out that, maybe I'll actually be able to make something! lol


So far I've managed a couple of stitches - double crochet, half treble crochet and treble crochet. Trying to make a round now! I shall make a placemat or a glass cover with it - and then I can stop the nasty bugs getting into my glass of coke when I sit outside! How smart is that!? (not very, I know!)


Can't get too tied up in the crochet though - I'm trying to knit a blanket for my friend Angie's baby Sidney and I'm doing it to my own design. At the rate I'm knitting it, he'll be taking it to school with him! eek! I've also got a cardigan for him that I need to sew up and finish.


And finally - how could I have forgotten to introduce my beautiful new pooch to all you people out there in blogland? Flamin' useless, that's me! I blame it on the permanent brain fog that comes with chronic fatigue (and the fact that I was up half the night trying to report some barking dogs who'd been left unattended by their owners for the 3rd day on the trot to the RSPCA!).

So here is my ickle Kiwi! She's a 9 month old Staffordshire Bull Terrier and she's the softest, dumbest dog ever! She doesn't bark and she LOVES cuddles! She's not too keen on long walks (she flops down flat on the ground when she's had enough!) and she is an absolute angel with Aston! Just wish she'd stop sitting in my raised flower beds, cheeky moo! hehe

Local celebs! lol

Silly me - forgot to post the article that was in our local rag about the knit in public event! I'm the one in the middle!

What am I letting myself in for?

I've started knitting a baby blanket that I'm designing myself, pretty much as I go along! I worked out the stitches and rows for the pattern according to the yarn's tension square measurements and it seems to be working well but I've changed my mind from my original idea! lol

Not done a great deal as yet since I've got 265 stitches on the needle, but I'll get there eventually! When I've finished, if I'm happy with it, I'll put the pattern up on here and some photos of the finished article.

Was very pleasantly surprised to find a 10 pack of the yarn I'm using on Ebay - not only that, it's the same shade number and even the same lot number! What are the chances of that, eh?