Nothing much

Nothing much to relate this week. Work is blah, everyone and their grannie are either on holiday or off sick. Yesterday I was playing catch up all day and almost met myself coming back.

So here's a few things to make you smile.

Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord
My shape to keep.
Please no wrinkles
Please no bags
And please lift my butt
Before it sags.
Please no age spots
Please no gray
And as for my belly,
Please take it away.
Please keep me healthy
Please keep me young!
And thank you Dear Lord
For all that you've done.

Five tips for a woman....

1. It is important that a man helps you around the house and has a job.

2. It is important that a man makes you laugh.

3.. It is important to find a man you can count on! and doesn't lie to you.

4. It is important that a man loves you and spoils you.

5. It is important that these four men don't know each other.

Foot Note:

One saggy boob said to the other saggy boob:
"If we don't get some support soon, people will think we're nuts."

Weird weather

Well so far April has been a funny month, and we are only on day 4. Sunday was a beautifully clear day and it was quite warm, well warm for Scotland that is. I was sweating buckets as I was wondering round my home town and visiting my clients, and the day stayed fairly calm and bright. Today is now Tuesday and it has been hailing and snowing on and off all morning. It's no bloody wonder that people are going down like flies with chest infections and colds. I'm still on steroids and have just finished my second course of antibiotics, and am still not 100%.

So far this year I have had a shitty time of it and this weekend hasn't been any better. My mum phoned on Saturday morning and told me that her mum had died and she was quite upset. I'm not sure how to feel about it. I should be upset because she was my grandmother, but I never really knew her or thought about her. My mum was adopted and raised by an aunt from the age of 5, so her birth mother never had all that much to do with her after that. As a child I knew who she was, but she wasn't my gran, I had a gran and she was just another auntie. We never got cards or presents from her, and the only time we saw her was when she was wanting something or she came over with my mum's sister. It is a strange family. There were 7 siblings in total, mum being the 2nd oldest. She has one full brother, 4 half brothers and a half sister. Her sister died some years ago, and she was the only one who really kept in contact. I haven't seen any of my uncles since I was a child. I probably wouldn't recognise them if I saw them in the street. Over the years her oldest brother has been in touch, but he's always been a sort of on/off sort of person. I has just hit him now that mum is his only full blood relative and he's trying his best to make up for the lost years. Of course mum is full of "what if's" and "If only's" but you can't live your life like that. I think she will be upset on Thursday, but now she can look forward and not have to worry about trying to make things ok in Violets life. She never made sure mum was ok and never extended that motherly hand when it was needed. I probably sound quite bitter, but I don't think I am. What you've never had, you never miss. Do you?

Knitting has once again been relegated to the back burner, but I have been doing some crochet. I've quite enjoyed leafing through one of my new books and choosing what I want to do. Eventually I will sew all the squares together and make a blanket, but it will be more of a sampler than a properly thought out thing. I'm not in the mood to make a dozen of one colour, then a dozen of another, I just want to play. I'll probably take my crochet to work tomorrow because I have a 24 hour shift and some of it will be spent at the community centre, so plenty of time to just mess about with shapes and colours. I've been trying to teach one of the social workers how to crochet and it is quite funny watching her. She's all fingers and thumbs. I have to sit on my hands and let her do it, but I just want to grab it and say no, you do it like this.

Friday can't come fast enough for me this week because we are getting a new tv. Personally I'm happy to watch anything, but hubby has ordered and all singing all dancing plasma tv and it arrives Friday morning. It is HD ready and had freeview too. We aren't able to get freeview here, but we do have Sky so that should be fun.

Happy Mother's Day

Here in bonnie Scotland, the sun has been shining and it is Mother's Day. Today is the first day in a long time that it has felt like spring has arrived. It is also the day the clocks go forward. Of course we forgot and were happily just languishing around the house and doing nothing in particular until #2 daughter came down and asked why her computer was saying it was an hour further on than she thought it was. It then dawned on us that we had once again forgotten to change the clocks. Luckily for Gary and I neither of us were working. Unluckily for me I have a chest infection and aren't able to work at the moment. I'm sick of being sick. I've only been back at work for a week and a half after being off with my knee and now I'm laid low with this damned infection. My doctor is one of those who usually prescribes paracetamol and ibuprofen or a herbal remedy rather than antibiotics, but he took one look at me and listened to my chest and threw the lot at me. I have to take the usual dose of antibiotics, but he also prescribed a course of steroids to really get a grip of it. My lungs were so congested that when he did a peak/flow test my reading was over 200 points less than it should have been. This was after doing a best of 3 and each time it got worse.
On a brighter note, I got some nice cards and pressies. Kylie bought me a lovely card and a Russell Watson CD. He's not my favourite singer, but I wouldn't tell her that. Natalie bought me a card and a toy sunflower that I've nicknamed AudreyII from here. Sad I know, but I thought it fitting. Rachel bought me some yummy chocolate truffles and a card. Unfortunately my sense of taste has gone to pot, so I only know that they taste nice from having them before. Gary didn't buy me a card, but he did buy me the Lascivious Biddies - Get Lucky and I'm enjoying listening to them whilst I write this. If you listen to Brenda Dayne's Cast-On you will have heard them on more than one occasion, she uses one of their songs for the start of today's sweater and has also played a couple more of their tracks in past pod-casts. I keep laughing because every time one of my family come in to have a word they listen to what I'm playing and all of them have had a little dance. Now my family have quite diverse listening preferences, and the Biddies are not on any one of their lists, but they are enjoying them. One more notch on mum's bedpost for introducing my family new music and artists :-)
On the knitting front things have gone slowly again. I love knitting and my head is buzzing from all the ideas that I have, but I just haven't hadn't the energy to think about it this week. I did start the front of the effing sweater, but I made about 6 mistakes in the first few rows. Luckily I saw them, but have been too tired to sort it out. Once more it lies unloved in the basket. I have to get cracking, I'm almost a month behind and I hate that. I want to get it finished, but haven't got the inclination or the energy to do it.

Woo hooo

It's stitch and bitch night tonight and I can go :-) I really need some girlie bitchy time, I've been feeling a bit down this week. I know that if I let it get a hold then I am going to be in a funk for ages, so I'm just going to grin and bear it. I'm going to show off my new knitting bag and my little family of metal sheep that I bought at Lakeland. We are really lucky that we have a branch in Aberdeen and it is so easy to just wander in and spend so much money in there. They have some great stuff and I love browsing at their craft section. Once upon a time they hardly had anything crafty and just had storage items, but now they have so many different ranges that it is too tempting. They do large bags of soft liquorice that is so, so moreish that you have to buy two bags and at £4 a pop it aint cheap. I try to stay out of there, but sometimes, a girls got to do what a girls got to do and that's blow the hubby's bonus on goodies :-)

I've almost finished the back of the sweater, only 6 more rows and then I can start on the front. I think I'm going to do it slightly different this time. I don't know if I can cope with sewing in millions and millions of loose ends. I think I'll take it along to show the girls tonight, and then I might do some crochet to calm my nerves. I got two new books last week and am really enjoying flipping through them, so I think I'll have a bash at making a few and then I can sew them all together to make an afghan. The first one is this and the second one is this. It's ages since I've done any crochet and I feel that it is now time for a change.

In Loving Memory

Kelly
1990 to 8th March 2006

Today I had to put my dog to sleep. Her name was Kelly and she had been my constant companion for the last ten years. We got her as a rescue dog, and she was in such a sorry state. The first time I saw her she was crawling round on her belly and urinating every where because she was so afraid. I fell in love with her, but didn't take her home there and then because she was going to be a gift for my parents. I phoned them and told them about her, but they said that they couldn't take her if she hadn't been neutered in case their other dog tried to mate with her. He was a big collie dog, so it wouldn't have been a good idea. Once we got home I started to talk to my husband about the dog that we had seen and he said that if I wanted her I could have her. I phoned my friends straight away and they brought her up the following weekend. Now this was no little journey it was a 300 mile round trip, but they were willing to do it for me. We took her everywhere, even on holiday. When we went abroad, she went down to Yorkshire to stay with my parents and they loved having her as much as she loved being there.

I woke early this morning because I could hear a strange noise coming from the floor next to my bed. When I managed to get my eyes to work I found that it was Kelly and she wasn't well. The whole front end of her body was on the floor and she was sort of pushing herself along with her back legs. At first I thought she might have got her paws stuck in her collar because she has done that before today. Don't know how, but she managed it. Anyway, I picked her up and realised that she wasn't caught, but was very limp and not like her own self. Of course dh was in Glasgow on business and not able to get home. I phone the vet and she said that she would meet me if I got a cab down to the surgery. I got a cab and set off with my little pal in my arms. By this time her breathing had gone and she was foaming at the mouth and I knew in my heart that her time had come and I didn't want her to struggle any more. The vet agreed that she was too far gone and it would only be prolonging the inevitable if she tried to do anything. I didn't cry, well not much and stroked her whilst the vet injected her with this blue fluid. I removed her collar and asked the vet to handle all the necessary funeral details. I paid the bill and walked out of the building.
My oldest daughter was staying over at her boy friends house and I walked there and rang the bell. She came to the door and in I walked I sat down and told her what had happened and then broke down. She cried and I cried some more. I then had to go home and tell the other two. They were still in bed when I left and hadn't even known that I had gone. We all cried again.

I miss my baby and can't get my head round the fact that she isn't here any more. I keep looking for her in her favourite spot and my heart drops when I remember that she isn't there.

We've decided that we aren't going to get another pet. It's too damned hard to let them go.

Storm in a podcast

As you may know, I love listening to podcasts and at the moment my favourite one is Cast-On with Brenda Dayne. I am at present off work with a dodgy knee and am re-listening to all her podcasts whilst trying to get this damn sweater finished that I should have completed for the Knitting Olympics. I think I was just being carried away with the challenge and didn't really look at what needed to be done. I did manage to finish one sweater, but not the one I wanted to finish.

Anyhoo, back to the podcast. I regularly check the comments on Brenda's site to see if there are any new podcasters out there and have found a couple that I have listened to and quite like. However, one comment that was left today was so rude and obnoxious that it really got my goat. Of course the person who left it didn't have the guts to leave a name, they just left this long ranting post that was full of vitriol and down right nastiness.

There are a few comments that I would like to make about this, and feel that I want to speak here where it is in the public domain and where I have the right to hit the delete button.

1. By all means point out any and all flaws that you might find in a podcast or blog, but do it constructively.
   
2. If you feel the need to vent in public there are better ways to go about it.
   
3. Leave your name and that way the person who is at the receiving end of the abuse can contact you and tell you what a nasty b@st@rd you are
4. Learn how to spell
5. If it were an open forum and there were mediators or assistants, then the delete button would have been pressed and you would have been blocked and reported as a troll.
6. No one insists that you have to listen to anything that you dislike, so why abuse someone who has no say on what or how you do something.
7. Don't piss off knitters, for we are a formidable bunch and we will retaliate.
   

I'm not someone who simpers and panders to anyone, but I do like listening to Brenda, and she seems a nice person. I emailed her about another post recently and true to her word, she replied with a lovely email. Long may she want to podcast and let us see in to a little bit of her world.

At the end of the day podcasts are free to listeners and even if something is a pile of shit, it hasn't cost anything to listen to it and you don't have to listen to it again.

I think that I've said enough for today.

The best laid schemes

"The best laid schemes
o' mice and 'men
Gang aft a-gley"
Robert Burns c. 1785

And, boy oh boy did my plans gang a-gley. A week past Saturday was the first of it, youngest daughter started puking for all she was worth. Hubby came home from Houston and instead of a welcoming wife he got one very frazzled wife and an ill child. On Sunday I had to work all day, so he was baby sitting and middle daughter became ill. It turned out she hadn't got the pukes, but she had the flu. It was the full monty, sweating, shivering, coughing, aching etc. Fortunately my brave hubby is good with illness and took it all in his stride. Monday morning saw me start to feel ill and I have been coughing and sneezing all week. My bones ache and I don't want to sit down, but I don't want to stand up because I'm tired and on it goes. I started to feel a little better by Friday and we went out for a meal with friends. Saturday saw me doing another full day, and Sunday I was back to my 24 hour shift. Yesterday was spent sleeping for most of the day.

What may you ask has this to do with plans, well because of illness I haven't started my knitting for the Olympics yet, so am a bit like Eddie the Eagle. Full of good intentions, but crap at actually getting going. Today was going to be my knitting day, but things have just been pants again and I have been trying to catch up with house work. Tonight is the first night of two nights training and I am not looking forward to it at all. I have a number of clients who are epileptic and I have to learn how to administer rectal diazipam, so this is going to be what I am doing for Valentines night. No fancy panties and chocolates for me. I supposed I could always try out my techniques on hubby when I get home, but I don't think he will be that appreciative of it :-)

The only positive thing that I have now done, is link up the SFSE button to the Free to Stitch site, and also linked the Celtic knitters button to the Yahoo site for the Celtic Knitter.

Stitch and Bitch

Not really a stitch and bitch, I just wanted to use the phrase :-) You might be thinking HUH!?! And I wouldn't blame you. I am using it in reference to the whole sorry tale about a New York based company and the fact that they are trying to tell most of the knitting community that they can't use the phrase Stitch and Bitch because it is their registered trademark. More can be found here and here. I first heard about it on knitflame and wasn't going to comment on it. I'm not usually one of those people who get involved in anything that might cause me problems, but then I thought No!, it's about time knitters/crafters stood up to be counted. For too long we have been the folk who have been laughed at or sneered at for enjoying something that gives us pleasure. If you go to the SFSE site, down at the very bottom you will see the words Stitch and Bitch Cafe with the little R sign next to it. Fair enough they registered the words "Stitch and Bitch Cafe" not the phrase Stitch and Bitch. Now you may say that it is being picky to differentiate, but this company have closed down, or made groups on Yahoo change their names because they have the words Stitch and Bitch or derivatives in their name. Until this whole sorry mess blew up, I had never heard of SFSE, and even if I had I wouldn't want to be dealing with them again. You will see that I have a little button in the right hand column of my blog. At present it isn't linked to anything, but it will be when I can get a minute to sort out the Html. If you are now totally bored with the whole thing, here's Franklins thoughts on it.

On the knitting front, I have almost finished the Jean Moss sweater. I have had a few hiccups along the way, but it is looking rather nice and should be finished by tomorrow. I can then start on the Shilasdair sweater. Do you know since I have been knitting for Jean I haven't bought any yarn of my own. My husband can't believe it, because I would normally be out at least once a week and adding to my ever increasing pile. Now, that isn't to say that I haven't been buying stash, just I haven't been buying yarn :-)

I have bought some fabric to do some patchwork with one of my clients. She is wanting to make a memory quilt, but has never done any sewing or patchwork due to a long term illness. It has been less than a year since she started to get better and she is wanting to learn so much and do things that she hasn't been able to do until now. It is very difficult for us to get any fabric here because the nearest patchwork shop is in Aberdeen and since I don't drive and she can't walk very far I have to order from eBay. I have been very happy with what I have received, but it isn't like being able to go in and look at the fabrics and choose your own colours or yardage. Wednesday is the only day of the week that I do patchwork, so I have promised myself not to get carried away and buy lots of stash. I can't wait to get started properly, but at the moment it is more a case of showing her how to sew and how to be her own boss. For the last ten years she wasn't able to do anything and just directed other people and is finding it very hard to learn how to do things for herself. She isn't lazy by any means and is a bright girl, but her brain just can't get used to thinking and doing. I do enjoy being with her though. Imagine I'm getting paid to just sit and sew for three whole hours a week, plus we get to have a laugh.

Oh, my goodness, I'm an addict

Hello, I'm Theresa and I'm an addict. You might think that this is going to be some sad post about alcohol, drugs etc, but no I'm addicted to podcasts. As you know last time I wrote I spoke about podcasts and that I had just found them. I've spent as much time ever since catching up and listening to all the casts that I have downloaded. I can't wait for the next instalment and am checking in every single day for new ones. My youngest daughter is getting frustrated because she uses iTunes too and all my podcasts are hogging up space that she wants for her tunes. I haven't told her how to unclick them and just download the stuff she wants. I suppose I'll have to do that soon.

Cast-on is still my favourite and I couldn't wait to listen to this week's new instalment. Brenda is just so good to listen to and her choice of songs is so varied and such good fun. This week she was talking about the Knitting Olympics. I had already heard of this via some of the forums that I am a member and have subscribed, although I do wish there was a Scottish contingent so that we can have our own team. Brenda has team Wales, there's team USA, team Canada, and also team Caffeine. Maybe I should design my own button and start up the Celtic Knitters team. No we wouldn't be soccer fans who knit, but Celts who knit, there is a big difference.

In previous posts I have mentioned the sweater that I am doing for Eva at Shilasdair. I had started it, but it was driving me mad, so have decided to put it down, rip it out and start as a project for the knitting olympics. I should be able to finish it in the alloted time, or should I say I have to finish in the alloted time, because it is required asap. I do agree that it is a bit of a pointless exercise, but it is going to be enormous fun. Imagine thousands of knitters all casting on at the same time, and with only one goal, to complete a project within a set time span. It's a shame that it hasn't been widely publicised, because it would be great to see knitters getting together for at least some of the time.


P.S. I've quickly made a button if anyone wants to snag it or make it their own. Remember, right click and save to your own site before using.

IPod's and podcasts

For Christmas I received an iPod nano and am only just getting used to it. Mine is white, but my oldest daughter bought me a lovely pink skin to put on it and I wear it with pride :-) Until now, I have only added music or photo's. Yesterday I clicked on my iTunes button and decided to see what podcasts were on offer. As a knitter I automatically typed in knitting in to the search button and pressed go. Of course I wasn't aware what I would find and I did find a heap of non knitting related stuff, but I also found a few good podcasts. I listened to some before I decided to sign up for them. The three I decided to download were Knitcast, Cast on & The Fibrecast. There are a number of other ones, but these were the ones that I could listen to with out the casters accent grating on my nerves.

At first I thought I might have been a bit sad to subscribe to these podcasts, but I am enjoying them immensely. I haven't managed to listen to any of the fibrecast stuff yet, and am looking forward to that. This is more of a fiber lovers podcast than a specific knitters one, and being a bit of a fiber junky myself I am looking forward to it.

I think Knitcast is the older of the group and is a more formal podcast. It's more like something you would get on radio 4 with interviews etc. I like it because you get to hear from knitwear designers and also other folk. I like to hear people speak, because it is a great way for me to assess the character of a person. Some people have a monotonous droning voice that just bore me rigid and I know that I would switch off and not take any notice of them. The casts that I have downloaded are interesting and I enjoyed them immensley. There's an interview with Freddie Robins, one with Debbie Bliss and one with Kerrie Alman from Magknits and Hipknits.

At the moment Cast On is my favourite cast. Most of the casts are almost an hour long, and include music and gossipy bits from the Brendas life. One item on the cast is called "todays jacket". Here Brenda tells us about a jacket that she is either wearing or she has chosen to talk about. One of her favourite designers is Jean Moss and two of the casts mention an item that is made using one of her designs. The way she speaks and explains each item you can almost see it, and see her wearing it. If you are a Knitty reader, then the recent winter 05 edition has one of her designs in it. To see it, go to Knitty, scroll down and click on the Mrs. Beeton.

As I'm writing this blog, I'm listening to Cast On and am enjoying it, thank God for a woman's ability to multi task :-)

Today I'm blue :(

Today I'm blue because my beloved has gone away for two weeks. He's had to go to Houston on business and flew out this morning. I'm not going to be able to see him now until the 4th of February. I know I'm pathetic and should be partying now that he is away, but I miss him when he's not here. He's my best friend and is the only person who can shut me up when I'm in a strop. He doesn't say anything, just frowns at me or gives me a hug and all is right with the world again. He makes me laugh, cry and laugh again and even though I get mad at him he never ever argues back (well almost never). I've asked him to bring me something nice back, but he's refused to do any shopping whilst he is away. He'll get me something, I know he can't resist it.

Last night I got a couple of great bargains at Tesco's. They are having a clothing sale and I thought I would have a look. I got two tops that were reduced from £25 each to just £2 each, and a skirt for £3 from £20. I like bargains like that. One of the tops is a mixture of different yarns and has wool, angora and cashmere in it. It's only 8%, but it's still cashmere :-)

This afternoon is hopefuly going to be a girlie afternoon. Maureen from Made by Mojo is coming over for a spinning lesson using her new drop spindle. I'll have to get out some fibre for us to play with, I might even go in to the loft and drag out a couple of bags of stuff for her to look through. I've been to the bakers and bought some french fancies and some wholemeal carrot muffins with a delicious cream frosting. They'll be our treat when we have a coffee. We might even have a rake through some of my stash, I know she is wanting to see it. Sometimes I feel ashamed that I have such an accumulation, and then other times I think YAY! look what I have. When it come to being a magpie, I just can't resist pretty yarns and colours. One of the women in the Aberdeen S'n'B suggested a yarn swap, which seems like a good idea. I know we all have yarns/books/needles that we would happily switch with someone.

More Fun

Here's something for you to think about. What is your yarn name?

I was Mistress Wool Gatherer


I got this from MOJO's site she'll laugh when she sees it.





The Traditional Princess

You are generous, graceful, and practical with both
feet planted firmly on the ground. You tend to
be a little on the old-fashioned side. You
value home, hearth, and family life and love to
be of service to others.

Role Models: Snow White, Maid Marian

You are most likely to: Discover a hidden talent
for spinning straw into gold.


What Kind of Princess are You? - Beautiful Artwork (Original Music is BACK!!!)
brought to you by Quizilla

Steady Week

Well this week is progressing steadily. Work isn't too hard and not nearly as busy as last week. I was so tired on Monday that my poor brain just couldn't cope. My youngest daughter was laughing at me because I was talking such utter rubbish. Nothing I said came out right and words were muddled up or totally wrong. If I hadn't known better I would have said that I'd had a stroke. Once I'd got my head down and slept I felt better although I am still feeling tired. I can't even say its because I am staying up late and getting up early because I'm not. I do go to bed late, but I get up late as well.

Yesterday I got the new pattern from Jean Moss and the yarn to make it with. It's a Sirdar yarn and is space dyed, but it is coming up really well. I'm knitting it on slightly smaller needles than you would usually use and it is giving a lovely fabric. I couldn't put it down last night and am already half way through the back. It looks like it is going to be one of those quick projects that I like. I can't wait to post the pictures, but have to wait until after the book launch.

Finished at last.

I've finally managed to finish the dress for Jean Moss and I must say that it looks good. Unfortunately I can't show any pictures because it is very hush hush and won't be available to the public until after March this year.

The Shilasdair sweater is coming along slowly. I hadn't realised how many different colours and pieces there were in it. I think it is going to take me a good few weeks to get it done. Once I'm in the swing of it, it shouldn't be too bad. I know I've said it before but the yarn is just out of this world and is so nice to touch. It's a bit of a bugger to knit with because it sheds like buggery, but I can cope with that. My lounge floor is covered with different colours and sizes of balls, plus the sofa is becoming a knitting corner too. Luckily for me I have an understanding hubby.

Work is a bit manic this week, so my knitting is the only thing that brings me down to earth and for that I am thankful. Next week is going to be crazy too, but at least I have a couple of days off.

Just for fun

You are a wonderful fluffy novelty yarn. Take your
pick! Lots of fun and full of exhuberance. You
are very social and mix well with all types of
people. Very playful and endearing.


What kind of yarn are you really??
brought to you by Quizilla

What a start to 2006

Feelin' tired

After having such a lovely quiet Christmas I though that this year was going to be one of the good ones. However, things turned out not to be so good. My best friend of over 30 years has finally admitted to being abused by her brother as a child and has decided to take official proceedings. Her New Year was hell because of a silly argument that blew up out of all proportion and she is in bits. I have always been her confident and I thought that she had told me everything she could possibly tell me. As it turns out I didn't know the half of it and am hearing it all now. I feel tired and perplexed, but most of all so very sad that she has had to live with this for so long. The last couple of days have been a whirlwind and I have spent hours on the phone to her and her husband just listening and talking to them. My head hurts and I want to curl up in a corner and cry myself to sleep. I haven't done any house work or things that I am supposed to do, my poor husband is just listening to me rant and rage and is being so very good. I want to be there for my friend and her family, and yet I want to be with my family and protect them. Instead I am going to go to work in the morning and not come home until Monday morning. I'm not running away, just doing my job as a carer, but I feel like I am abandoning them all. I don't know what to do for the best any more.

On the knitting front the dress for Jean is almost finished and looks ok. I won't say good because I hate the yarn. I received the yarn form Shilasdair yesterday, and what a transformation. It is a cashmere, angora and lambswool blend and is just luscious. I just want to keep petting it and can't wait to get using it.

I think that's it for now, I'm tired and am going to go do some stitching.