Sometimes

Sometimes you just need a project that is mindless and kind of knits itself. Plain socks in a self patterning yarn works every time for me.

My plain sock pattern, knitted in Opal Van Gogh yarn - the colourway is Bedroom in Arles.

They are so pretty.

Whoops another fall from the yarn diet.....

But who could blame me? Juno 'Buffy' sock yarn in 'Treehouse' and 'Storm' - honestly the crappola light here today does not do justice to the richness of the colours - they sing! Also the base yarn is very similar to my favourite Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock which makes it even better.

I bought this from Tangled Yarn who I have to say have some truly glorious yarn and knitty stuff on sale - their service is pretty spiffing too!

I have stashed these until I get something else off the needles.

Just 'Call me Sweetheart' mitts

call me sweetheart 004
Originally uploaded by loobles2002

Had the idea for these warbling around my brain and it just had to come out. Am very happy with the result.

All grown up......well almost

 Tiny our Salmon Pink Birdeater - still not sure if he/she is fully grown or what sex they are. Waiting to see if they moult again. For a type of tarantula who is listed as aggressive when mature, Tiny is very placid and very curious. My fascination for this spider is endless.

J in his 'hat of awesome'. Again almost grown up and totally geeky!

New hair needs a new hat!

 I decided to design and make myself a new hat to go with my new short bobbed haircut. I wanted something kind of 20's or Flapper style. 

Flower motif - took me all morning to work it out and knit it up - but I did have help from Lottie who killed the ironing board every time I took a piece through to steam block.

I am very pleased with my days work -now I think I might have to make mittens or gloves to match.

Fanfare please.........

Books 100 -104!

"Dissolution' and 'Dark Fire' by C. J Sansom
Format - Kindle

Total departure from my normal reading choices and I love them. I have the third book downloaded to read. It is so refreshing to find a thriller style of story that makes me think. The first book took until around 75% to work out who the baddie was, the second one had me guessing almost to the very end. Very clever, well written and set in my favourite time period...Tudor. Winner on all levels.

'Anne of Green Gables' and 'Anne of Avonlea' by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Format - Audio book

These books are food for my soul. They are lyrical and feel good and I return to them time and time again. The gift of a new Ipod Touch from M was the perfect excuse to listen to them again. My love for them never lessens.

'Anno Dracula' by Kim Newman
Format - Kindle

One of the best books I've read this year. OMG it ticked every single box. Dracula, Dr Jekyll, Moriarty and Mycroft Holmes to name just a few of the wonderful characters this book weaves into its storyline. If you've not read it and you like a bit of a more meaty, serious vampire story - no twinkling - then have a read of this. Can't wait to read the next one!

Right that is it - since 01/01/12 I have read double of the challenge of  '52 books in a year'. I have enjoyed it and am as yet undecided as to whether I do it again next year....watch this space.

Getting there....slowly

 What have I been doing? Well I got a haircut - finally.

 Been making our Christmas cards.

Knit some mittens with some scraps of my hand spun yarn (the rest was woven into a scarf).

Still plugging on with my reading challenge I am on book 103.

Got stuff on the needles - three shawls and a pair of socks (TV knitting).

Got a mountain of alpaca to spin for a friend - now this is long term and really slow going as I am hand carding as I go because my drum carder doesn't like pure alpaca much. I also have a big bag of black alpaca to spin for me but that will not see the wheel for quite a while.

I also have two projects on my drop spindles - another slow go as I have periods where I love this way of spinning and then I put it in a box and forget it for a while.

The looms are empty right now. As I want to finish up some of my knitting projects before I weave again.

That's about it for blog fodder stuff. Dogs, cat, hubby, kid and spiders are all thriving and life is fairly jolly.

Busy nothings

In an adaptation of one of Austen's novels, life is described as a series of 'busy nothings' and that is the perfect description for my life right now.

I am busy, there is loads going on, but none of it is important really or exciting.

Somedays there are so many 'busy nothings' I feel like my brain will explode but when you try and explain what it is all about to someone else it is almost impossible. It is more a sense of having too much to think about, achieve and control. My stomach feels like it is on a permanent roller coaster.

I fear I shall continue in ever decreasing circles until I finally disappear up my own backside. So if the blog goes quiet for a while, or I'm not on FB, Twitter or Rav, don't panic or send out a search party. I am safe, up my own arse, wibbling in a rectal corner, trying to make sense of it all and get a better handle on coping with all the 'busy nothings' in my world.

Whoops

Fell off the yarn diet wagon again!