A decade on (pretty much)

On 31/08/04 I wrote my first ever post on this blog, and as J just pointed out I spelt 'blog' wrong on the title. I still can't spell.

I was giving the whole blog experience some thought the other day, pondering on how I had changed over 10 years of blogging and also on how the family has changed too.

The family thing that came to mind first was J - he was 7 when I started, I was home educating him and he was small.

He's not so small now - he is taller than me and I think he is taller then M. (This was taken earlier this year and he had shaved for once!) His voice is very deep and his limbs long and lean but I am pleased to say he is still very daft.

I then thought about the pets. When I started this blog we had Lou-Lou the Dalmatian and Buster the black and white arsehole.....sorry I mean kitty. We also had a guinea pig and numerous tarantulas. The fur babies have passed on and we have different pets now. We have no small furries at all and only two tarantulas.

Of all of us I think M has changed the least. In the last 10 years he has learnt to play the bass guitar and is even more into his pottery. His beard is greyer but he is a constant, pretty much.

I have changed - my hair style and colour numerous times. My weight still goes up, down, up, up, down, up, up and down again. I always seem to end up in the same place, so think my body is telling me this is where it and I are happiest (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it). In the 10 years of this blog I learnt to knit socks, I learnt to spin, I managed to get my degree, play the Ukulele (badly), I am less of a Luddite, I got J through his exams and ready for college and last year the biggest change of all I went back to work (really need to update my profile - lol).

We have had good times and bloody awful times. We have had some awesome adventures - going to Fair Isle comes to mind - we have been happy and have also felt times of total despair. We have been broke more than once and through it all we have stuck together and come out of it all - hopefully - stronger and wiser than before.

I am still undecided on the fate of this blog. For now I'll keep it up and just see how it goes and how I feel. Still 10 years isn't too shabby - is it?

Rainbow Scotties

We have just had a couple of weeks off work for a family stay-cation. It's been lovely. Very relaxed. M got loads of pottery done and I fancied doing some stitching. What started out as trying to make a design of a Scottish Terrier shape, grew into a plethora of little rainbow scottie dogs with bows.

After finishing the panel I had no idea what to do with it at all but out shopping yesterday I found these......

The panel seemed perfect to be edged by bright cotton and turned into a cushion. The result is a wonderful additon for my favourite chair in the bedroom.

The rest of my time off was spent in reading, spinning, knitting and eating and drinking delicious stuff. M cooked up a storm including scallops and streak and a visit to the wonderful cheese shop in Lewes resulted in a fabulous lunch.

I went back to work for two days last week which was a pleasant way to ease my way back in and M goes back Monday. We loved having so many lazy days with no time strictures or demands on our days. I think we all benefited from it - even J- who is making the most of his summer holiday anyway.

Pebble Beach in a seaside garden.

I took part in a KAL (knit-a-long) on the Curious Handmade forum to make this lovely Pebble Beach Shawlette. The pattern was included in the Unwind programme and was designed by Helen Stewart.

I finished this last week but have been waiting for right light to take pictures as bright orange (like bright red) can be a real bitch to photograph.

As we can see the sea from home the idea of photographing this in our 'seaside' garden amused me and today the light was perfect. Not only to show the true orange of the yarn but also the stitch definition as the pattern.

This is a lovely pattern to knit, quite simple and beautifully written and is now available to buy on Ravelry.

Details of the yarn used etc can be found either on my Rav project page or via an earlier blog post.

I also finished a bobbin of spinning today. The fibre is from some I purchased at Unwind. I am spinning it by gradient and have already started bobbin 2. Holidays are great for getting on with craft stuff that you have put off.

Flash fiction.

'Sometimes'

Sometimes I hold my breath until my head starts to swim just to see if I can see fishes in the air.  And sometimes I spin around and around until my balance is gone and pretend I've just got off of the worlds fastest merry-go-round. Sometimes I smother myself in my  duvet from head to toe and lie still not breathing and wonder if I am dead. Sometimes I look in the mirror  and I don't see what others do. Sometimes I walk down the street and I know I am not there and my reflection in the windows is just an illusion. And sometimes I look for the person I was but I never find her. Sometimes I balance on the very tip of my toes, way up high and wonder if I will ever be brave enough to fall. And sometimes I wade out to sea, almost out of my depth, but I always stop and swim back to shore. Sometimes I wander through cemeteries and look for my grave. Sometimes I run down a hill really fast towards a busy road but I always stop in time. Sometimes I touch myself to make sure I am still here.


Sometimes, sometimes, sometimes I am no longer sure if I am just a figment of someone else's imagination.

Sometimes, sometimes, sometimes, I'm not sure I am real.