I'd like to think I'm not this bad.....

You Know You're Addicted to Buffy When...

You look at pieces of wood, deciding if they would make a good stake You decide that you will only see your boyfriend at night and in the graveyard "A happy slayer is a good slayer" becomes your motto You have the whole collection of Buffy T-shirts But you won't wear them - you want to keep them in mint condition. You've taken up karate and practise your Buffy moves regularly You refuse to go out after dark... just in case You have suddenly taken a liking to tweed You start calling your boyfriend Angel You prefer to watch Buffy alone because other people just "don't get it" You find yourself quoting the show several times a day You go shopping for clothes and only purchase things that have appeared on the show You always say the words "the wacky", "wiggins" and "a happy" All your user names on the internet are "Willow" You start hanging around libraries You love to hack into the coroners office You have either a cross necklace or a Claddaugh ring You decide the graveyard is really cool hangout You look at abandon warehouses in a whole new light You never invite anyone into your house after dark You find yourself in a situation and say "This is something Xander would do" You are secretly in love with your best friend Your licence plates read "Queen C" You think "Too much Buffy? Never!" You name your puppy Willow or Xander You recite Amy's rat-turning spell when in the company of your older brother You demand that people call you Buffy Every time you step out of the shower you say "I seem to be having an extreem case of nudity" You appoint yourself a watcher and choose someone to study/train etc. You stay away from your teacher just incase they turn out to be prey-matis' Your room looks like a shrine, you have Buffy posters as wallpaper, a Buffy bedspread, curtains etc. You won't take cookies or mini pizza's from your Mom's new boyfriend You find a whole new liking for miniture golfing You hear that song "I hope you dance" and think of fighting Faith You cried two hours after the fifth season finale of Buffy was over because she died even though you know she is coming back. You pondered becoming a vengance demon after your last breakup. You own enough Buffy comics and novels to have your bedroom be considered a fire hazard. You won't go out past sunset unless armed to the teeth with stakes, crosses, and holy water. You have crosses nailed over every window and door. You start tracking the local murder rates after a new girl moves into town. You read all the occult books in the school library searching for the Watcher diaries. To you, sexual protection isn't birth control, it's making sure you're partner is human. You practice sticking thumbtacks through houseflies and mosquitos--"Just to be safe." You perform the reverse invitation spell after every visit from some person you haven't recently seen in sunlight. You insist on traveling from class to class via the ceiling. You try to exorcise the possessing hyena spirit when your best friend gets PMS. You cast a gypsy soul curse on the sadistic principal who gave you a suspension. You whittle wooden stakes. You kick doors open. You carry around a stake, just in case. You take long walks in the cemetery at night. You have a strange fear of hospitals. You don't complain about going to church anymore because you remember that your supply of Holy Water is running kind of low. You wear crosses every day and have a vast selection of them. You never verbally invite anyone into your home. You keep all your important information on yellow disks. You avoid fraternity parties. As a rule you don't like to be surprised. Your friends are fearful that if they call during "Buffy Hour" they'll be in for a long lecture the next day. You bookmark the Coroner's Office Web Site as a favorite place. When you hear that there's a new librarian at your school, you slam open the doors of the library and yell; "Okay. What's the sitch?". You can recite a whole Buffy episode(s). You wallpaper your room with pictures of the Buffy cast and complain when there isn't enough space to put them all up. You ask a priest to bless your bottle of Perrier. Just for the hell of it, you enter Moloch into several search engines. You name your doll Miss Edith. You let your bird die of starvation. You paint your nails like Drusilla. When your brother comes back from the zoo, you won't let him in the house. The only way you know how to say the word bitch is 'bitca'. You get your hair cut like Buffy's and your hairdresser keeps remarking that the picture you show her (for your haircut) looks oddly familiar. Whenever you quote Buffy Verse, you laugh hysterically while your friends stare at you like you've grown another ear. You always protest that Buffy is NOT a ditz's name. When watching a new Buffy episode, people gawk at you when you manage to say the actor's lines right before they do. You can't think of a thing to talk about with people who have never watched a Buffy episode. You spend hours on the net looking for new Buffy pictures. You get really really excited whenever you do find any new pictures. You sit on a grave twirling a yo-yo and say: "Come on, rise and shine. Some of us have a ton of trig homework waiting at home." You look for padlocked sewer access systems in mausoleums. You decide to be Buffy for Halloween but your friends don't notice a change. You own everything possible with the words Buffy the Vampire Slayer on them. You get wigged out by mimes and dummies. You have a chest in your room with a fake bottom that contains garlic, stakes, holy water and crosses. You freak whenever you have a substitute biology teacher. You never go out with your boyfriend on the night of the full moon. You avoid supposedly empty warehouses. You have a fear of railroad spikes. You punish your dolls. You get a wheelchair just so that you can be called "Roller Boy". You never have sex with your boyfriend for fear of what might happen to him. You take up tae kwon do, kick boxing, karate, street fighting and gymnastics. You eye your librarian to see if they're trying to tell you that you're the next Slayer. You sleep with a stake under your pillow. You sneak out of your bedroom window at night and hang out at the park because you've heard that several people have died there lately of exsanguination. You're horrified of people who have never even heard of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. You want to kill people who dis the show. You dream of past lives as a Slayer. Whenever you have a dream and you see your friend in it you run up to them the next day and choke them as you shout: "What do you know?". You never sign in someone's yearbook "Have a nice summer!". You don't like to use the word Master. You write Buffy FanFic. You date men whom you meet in dark alleys (but only after kicking them in the head). You bring a fire extinguisher to cheerleading tryouts. You get nominated at school as "Person Most Likely To Be The Next Slayer". You buy knee-high boots. You get five holes pierced in each ear. You're on a first name basis with all the actors of BtVS except that you've never met them. Though they used to appreciate your interest, the actors on BtVs are now scared to death of you. You check people's lockers to make sure they don't have any books such as 'Gray's Anatomy' and 'Mortician Desk Reference'. You read a Buffy transcript at least once a day. You befriend a computer genius and her dorky friend. You file complaints that the substitute biology teacher is harassing you. When asked what your hobbies are you answer; "Slay...slay...slave to the television". As far as you are concerned, Buffy and co. are actual people. You drive to California to look for Sunnydale, you dial operator and ask him where it is, operator says there is no such place and you yell back at him that he's probably in league with some demons to keep you out of Sunnydale. You enroll at Torrance High School. All the actors on the show are shown a picture of you and are told to stay away at all costs. When asked what you'll do when you're older you answer either dead or it's already been 'sealed in fate'. You tape all Buffy episodes, then retape them so they're in chronological order. You buy all the CDs of songs that have ever been on Buffy. You've been to all 1000 or so Buffy sites on the net. You legally change your name to Buffy Anne Summers (or another character from the show). You practically had a nervous breakdown when the series ended. You cannot remember what you did with your life before Buffy. Your motto is 'Life is short' or 'Seize the day'. You never bring your date to the morgue. When buying your Halloween costume you make sure it's something you'd like to be in real life. You always beat up a snitch. You nail crucifixes to your wall. You needed to visit a grief counselor when Tara died. You make sure your parents never come to Parent-Teacher night at school. You watch, mock and laugh at talent shows. When given an egg for parenting in Sex Ed class you boil it or smash it with something heavy. You're frightened of cheerleader wannabes. You avoid saunas, who knows what they put in the steam? You don't let people with long fingernails get too close to your throat. You use a Thesulan Orb as a paperweight. Whenever there's a Sadie Hawkins dance at school you lock yourself in your room. You refuse to buy any candy being sold by the band at school. You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends who are addicted to Buffy.

Get Your Own Addicted Meme Here



More cool things for your blog at
Blogthings

2 out of 20, 18 to go!

It's finished this very afternoon, the quick knit scarf. I am very highly pleased. It's one less to do now.

I might work on the Underworld gauntlets tonight. As someone asked me do you have to watch Underworld to make them. Well the idea kinda was to knit something while watching the movie. But I suppose I could expand it and make it the Underworld/Buffy project or perhaps the Vampire project?
I'd really like to get them finished because I'm virtually half way through the first one and I think getting somethign else finished so soon will motivate me to knit faster.

They still had there discounted wool stand at Spotlight today, I was strong and walked away from the 50% off Angora Supreme. I'm begining to have yarn fantasys and this was before I finished project 2. I'm dreaming baout what I'll buy when this is over and what I will make with it. I'm contemplating a pattern from Nundle Woolen Mill, it's the Pagan Jumper and I love the look of it.
It's knitted in 20-ply, which given that in winter it's -4 degrees celsius when I go to work has to be an advantage. However I will not gripe about how cold it is after reading over at Yarn Harlot's how it was -33 there one morning.

I'm afraid it'll only be a short one today, I hope by the next time I blog at least one of the gauntlet's will be closer to finished.

Redheads Rule the Darkside!

I am very pleased with myself. And do you know why? Do you even care? Well I'll tell you anyway.

Last night I sat down to Underworld and started my Underworld project. The picot-edged gauntlets from Vogue's current issue of Knit.1. This involved alot of slipping stitches, knitting so many before making a yarn over and then purling so many or vice a versa and throw in some more yarn overs.

Normally with a project like this I would have expected it to fly within two rows of all this fiddling about, but by the time Underworld had finished I was 3/4 the way through the first gauntlet's lacey looking lower half. I know that's all I managed in that time, but this is my first real foray into anything "lacey". Once the last repeat of the lace pattern is done I'm back to normal stocking stich (or stockinette to the US knitters). Then I get to figure out the thumb gusset, once I'm actually knitting it the pattern may make more sense at the moment just reading it I'm not sure what I'm going to end up with. Will it look anything like the picture? Now, there's a challenge!

Somewhere along the way I became a more acomplished knitter and din't even realise it! But I can't see myself taking on Lativan Mittens any time soon. Check out Yarn Harlot and you'll see what I mean and while your there why not check out the Knitters Without Borders - the tally of danated money to MSF (Doctors Without Borders) is over $50,000. I'll be making a donation at the end of the month to MSF as my charity of choice for this first month on my yarn diet, I think that makes me a little late for the Knitters Without Borders tally but there's no need for it to stop there.

The Quick-Knit scarf has not been forsaken in all of this, I picked it up this morning and recommenced work on it. It's now well and truly past the halfway mark as I have been sitting here and working on it while I read my e-mail and check on who's updated their blogs.

And now I have a question for you my dear blog readers, do you enjoy reading my blog? If so, and yes I'm desperate, could you leave me a comment? Even if it's only to tell me I'm boring you, all audience feedback will be appreciated. If I get none, I'll have to presume my worst nightmare has come true and there's a number of cobweb covered skeletons seated in front of moniters around the world after they've been bored death reading my blog.

Which Internet Sub-Culture Do You Belong To?

Which internet subculture do I belong to? [CLICK] You are a Goth! Oh Woe is you! Your LJ is full of angsty poetry and every breath is PAINFUL for you. Remember, when you are playing with razor blades, it's down, not across! Make it count! (kidding!) More Quizzes at Go-Quiz.com

No Knit Here.

I got the quick knit scarf out last night and looked at it and thought alot about knitting it but in the end I gave up and went to bed where I finished reading the Vodka Dialogue by Kirsty Brooks. This is the second time I have read it and I still love every bit of it. Unfortunatly nobody knits in it........
Perhaps I should have knitted it while reading it? Nah.

I'm going to do at least a row on the scarf tonight. Once I've picked it up and actually started it's easier to keep going.

I've been wondering if my lack of interest in my projects and the dread to keep going with them once started is perhaps I simply need slightly more challenging projects, not harder, no just a little bit more thought provoking. Something that I have to think about actually doing and figuring out next.

There is a pair of gloves in Vogue's Knit.1 with a fancy edge that look like a step up from my usual project, if I use the black fluffy stuff they can be my Underworld project. I'll have to look at the pattern and give it some serious thought. Maybe they might be just a little bit too hard.

Are you a knitter?

You're a hip knitter! Anything in style, in vogue,
in fashion, or expensive is your thing! I bet
you're a big fan of the Tiny Diva....


Are you a knitter?
brought to you by Quizilla

It's Friday and that means.....

It's the weekend, something I'm sure all of us working slaves look forward to.

And do you know what has made my Friday so fantastic? Apart from leftover lasagne for lunch. I checked my e-mail this morning to discover those incredibly exquisite but morally bankrupt shoes are on their way to me as I write this.

It's almost enough to make me quit my job and run away and join the circus. Or the WWE, the shoes would fit in well there.

Anyway until I actually quit I had better shuffle off and toil away I'll update later on the knitting front and the yarn diet.

What I did on my Thursday.

Well, apart from reading blogs and more blogs I took the time to seek out other sources of knitting inspiration.

But before I did all of that I have worked some more on this Quick-Scarf, it's almost halfway. I hope to reach the halfway mark tonight. Fingers crossed.

I was reading for the first time the Midnight Knitter blog it was quite interesting it's worth going just to have a look at her patterns. There is one busy knitter.

Another site I will be checking back to is this one ReKal 2005. It's about recycling knitted items and making something new out of them. Very cool idea I think and I will be following this closely. I'm so far not game to attempt to undo anything. It's have to be an absolute 50c bargain from the op shop before I'd even consider trying it.

Another thing I have to point your mouse to is the Vogue Knit 1 magazine site (I like the Knitstrology section, being an avid horoscope reader myself). I recently purchased the first issue, yes it's finally hit the Australian shores. I was keen to look at it when I saw it on the newsagent shelf as I had heard bad stuff about it. I loved it and bought it right away - but having said that there are a few OMG! clunkers in it and a knitted clock which leaves me going what the......? Maybe someone should send it to Rove.
I'm looking forward to the second issue, the Urban Cowgirls looks promising.

I shall conclude today by telling you all about my poor white cat Jeff. He was sitting up in the window looking out when one of my neighbours dashed past, well he really didn't think much of that the tail puffed up and his back was arched I was outside in the car watching him then when my neighbours came running back past I could see his mouth opening and shutting. But i couldn't hear any noise and we are talking about the foghorn of the feline world here. When my neighbours came running back past to retrieve something they had forgotten they waved to him and his puffy tail, arched back and opening and closing mouth. What happened then? Jeff feel off the windowsill, I was laughing at the display in the window but when he fell off the windowsill that was the end of me. Poor Jeff, after a moment he got back up and sat in the window long enough to see my neighbours leaving.
Jeff is the one who dosen't get out much on account of the fact that he dosen't seem to be aware of what happens around him which is how my neighbours first startled him I don't think he relised they were running past and he got a fright. Ah well, everybody has their cross to bear and it appers Jeff is mine.

I am Catwoman Hear Me Roar!

I watched Catwoman last night, I thorughly enjoyed it. I don't know what all the bad reveiws were about it was a very entertaining. I also perved on The Rock in Walking Tall. Which is a very very good movie, and I am not just saying that because The Rock is in it. When I dragged my sister to the cinema on the final day of Walking Tall she was sceptical. But afterwards she was impressed, she went in there thinking oh yes some wrestler has made a movie *eyeroll*. But she was proved wrong and I got to sit and gloat over that last night as I drank Kahlua coffee which is absolutely delish!

I worked on the Quick Knit Scarf during Catwoman. It does knit quickly, when your knitting it. I'm hoping that will be the next thing finished on my list.

The Underworld project, on closer inspection of the black yarn may only be a scarf after all. I don't want to take on a too complex wrap if I have to undo it. Maybe I should unravel it all and measure it? Maybe that's a bit too enthusiastic even for me.

Sharon a fellow Snb'er has started her own blog, I love a new knitting blog to read. You can check out her blog Shazzas Knits by clicking here.

Also while jumping around blogs I came across this one Disorderly Witches, as opposed to orderley one? I wonder what the difference really is. But the blog itself was a good read.

And finally after seeing these on a number of other blogs I had to get one for myself so you'd all be fairly warned.

Suzi is poisonous! Induce vomitting if ingested.

N POISON

Username:

From Go-Quiz.com

Look The Rock! Isn't he Purr-fect?

Tonight when I should be knitting, I will be willingly and wantonly distracted by The Rock.

Walking Tall has finally come out on DVD and I danced (maybe danced is an overstatement, but I want you all to know how excited I was) into my local movie rental establishment. And while there I also hired Catwoman because she looks tough and I thought she could guard my stash from maurading yarn stealers. I know they exist, you'll all be sorry if you don't listen to me.

I went grocery shopping today - always an exciting adventure. I was trying to be restrained, the yarn diet may become involuntary if I can't save some money. DVD sales are my weakness and the only trouble is somebody somewhere is always selling off some DVD's cheap and since I have no life outside of my own imagination I rely on other sources of entertainment, which are vital for boring projects. And after 2 mins all my knitting projects become boring. I have Knitting Deficeit Disorder I can't help it.

Back to the gorcery shopping, somehow chocolate cake and King Island cream found their way into my trolley. I can't imagine how..........
And not only did they jump into my trolley uninvited they brought a friend. The NEW Kahlua coffee.

I plan to attempt to knit during Catwoman, during Walking Tall with The Rock I plan to sit down with chocolate cake and cream and a pot of Kahlua coffee. I know attempting to do anyhting else will end in failure The Rock has a tendancey to make me forget who I am let alone what I was knitting. I can picture how many rows I would have to undo now. It's not a happy thought.

Absence Without Reason

I've been absent I know, I spent the better part of Friday wrangling with MSN Messenger. And the last two days staring at a blank screen wondering where Inspiration was. Maybe I should have confirmed my appointment.

I think it's time to update in the Yarn Diet - what's started, what's finished, what's going to be started and what projects are yet to be found.

1. Faux Fur Hooded Scarf from Cleckheaton's A Girl's Own pattern book. **UnderConstruction**
2. Mittens made from Bendigo's ________ in Columbine for my youngest cousin (she's going on 5). **FINISHED!!!!**
3. Mittens for my second youngest cousin (about 7), also in the above yarn. **Not Yet Started**
4. Mittens from Patons Beehive in red. These mittens along with the above two pairs are all being made from the pattern in Funky Knitting. **Not Yet Started**
5. Elegant Scarf from an early issue of Creative Knitting magazine, I''m using Chickenfeed's Knitting Nylon. **Not Yet Started**
6. Bare Necessities Bag from Hip To Knit. I've finished knitting the bag itself, it just needs to be sewn up and I think the I-Cord which is started will hinder the finishing process of this project. **UnderConstruction**
7. A second Bare Necessities Bag from Hip To Knit. **Not Yet Started**
8. Quick Knit Scarf in Panda Lashes (aka feathers). **UnderConstruction**

So far that's it, I just have to find another 12 projects. I think I might start looking to my UFO's to make up the final numbers. I'm sure there are a couple of hats there I can finish. Undoubtably there will be scarves in various stages of progress because I can't get away from them, I try, I really do but without luck. I know I have a wrap in Caressa started and must find again.

I get the feeling finding 20 projects is going to get easier, knitting them all is not. I need good things to knit too. I can see Buffy will get another round, I'm disappointed that Season 3 seems to take it self a little more seriously than the first two seasons which were kinda campy. Or should that be vampy?

Talking of things to knit to, I have yet to come up with my Underworld project. I have a largish looking quantity of black fluffy looking stuff. I wonder if there's enough for a wrap?

I've been coveting a bag of feather wool my sister/fellow knitter picked up op shopping far too many moons ago. She kept talking about getting rid of it, and I kept offering to take it. Finally it's mine! However now, I have to actually find the green yarn I told her I would give her so she could make a Moody Greens scarf (Moody Blues Scarf from the Scarf Issue of Creative Knitting). I can do that, it would mean no knitting while I searched.....

No, that's bad I shouldn't be looking for ways to get out of knitting I should be doing more. Especially now I've invested in new patterns. Before Christmas I saw the Simple Knits calender in my local Angus & Robertson, and hopefully put it on my Xmas list. Well the fact I bought it probably says it all. However there was 50% off the marked price sticker on it, marked price being $23 dollars. However they charged me only $5.74 for it, I'm pleased with my bargain. A calender and a 13 new projects to contemplate. I am loving the bag.
Bags are going to be my new scarves, I can sense it already.

On a final note today, I saw this quiz What kind of a freaky mother are you? at Chocolate and Yarn (cool name!) and had to try it. Granted my kids have four legs and are covered in fur, but still I'm their Mama.


You're a witchy woman! Chances are that you see
Morticia Addams as a role model, and your
wardrobe sports a fair amount of black. The
other mothers at school pick up may look
askance, but your kids already know that the
judgement of others isn't what counts.


What kind of a freaky mother are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Fate Strikes Again!

On Friday I heard through the grapevine that the new issue of Creative Knitting was out and I hadn't been able to go in search of it till this morning.

It's been a long time coming so I was interested to see what they had come up with. Not bad at all, some of the stuff was really nice some of it I think depended on your colour/yarn choice and others (though not many) were OMG! what we're they thinking?

However there was one pattern that stood out over the rest - a poncho made from recycled sari silk yarn. It probably wouldn't have meant as much if I haven't been hankering after a hank or two of this lovely looking stuff to begin with. It all started thanks to Lynne at Yarnivorous.

Lynne was knitting the Japanese Lantern Scarf as part of the Sari-A-Long (which has many examples of why this scarf is a must do project). Upon doing some research into the sari silk the very helpful knitters over at SNB Melbourne (Yahoo Group) offered up some very wonderful advice (in Norbu's/list mum's case even a sample to feel) and their experiences of this yarn. Somebody also mentioned the pattern at Knitty for Unbiased (a very cool bag) and I was also able to locate a pattern for a flower (The Wool Peddler - you'll need to go into their yarn section and select recycled silk to find the link) knitted up out of it. The Wool Peddler also offers up some very invaluable advice on working with this type of yarn well worth the read if anybody else is inspired to make anything with it.

I'm afraid that's all I have time for today although I can think of another umpteen dozen things I would have liked to tell you about.

Charity Yarn Diet V The Bad Ass Knitter

As a fan of wrestling, there's nothing I like more than a good match up. If only I got it......

Today I've decided to tackle a slight contradiction I have put myself into. As a Bad Ass Knitter I should be buying as much yarn as I want as often as I want. But upon taking on the yarn diet I am going against that by not buying yarn till 20 projects are completed. Well I suppose I will be kind of buying yarn when I want.

However I am not totally convinced.

All this talk about my Underworld project, once again a big thankyou to Amanda who suggested some colour suggestions. After much contemplation I only came up with black which I don't think I have a huge quantity of.
But I am going to be more adventurous now.

I have decided since I can't buy yarn I shall instead buy inapropiate footwear, but suitable all the same for a knitter from the Darkside making an Underworld project. These are my first and only pick so far Demonia ~ Witch Coffin Heels.
Any generous benefactors who'd like to give me these shoes?

I was at the first meet-up of Stitch N' Bitch Launceston yesterday and I made a start on the bag from Hip To Knit - Bare Necessities. I'm knitting it up out of Paton's Twister, I think it is one of their older yarns - nobody has heard of it. I spent the most of this afternoon working on it as well I am loving it! It's knitting up better than I expected.

With any luck the next time I write I will have heard from landlord about when he's sending the plumber to fix my hot water service, but what's another day after months?

OH YES!!!!

I completed a pair of mittens out of the Columbine. I am absolutley thrilled, one project down, 19 to go. However what these other projects will be.....let's see I have 4 already so I just need another 15.

15 FROM MY STASH??????? I don't think this is going to happen, well it might but it won't be interesting projects I am sure. I am thinking about a bag, I have this pattern I really like the look of, it comes form the Hiip To Knit book - Everyday Essentials(?). Cute little thing, I should be able to whip that up in no time, maybe more than one? I shall have to riffle through my yarn collection.
This will be a new experiance for me, normally I just like to roll around on it, well the cat seems to enjoy it and I'm begining to see why.

I would like to take this opptunity to talk about a knitter who has inspired me today. Amanda from ttbookjunkie knits has made what she calls her 50 First Dates Scarf and to keep it company a 50 First Dates hat, as you've probably guessed she's knitted them while watching the movie. I do believe she was going to create a full set and make mittens to boot. Since at the moment I'm Underworld obsessed, (I love the fact that my friend does know me as well as I suspect - Scott your absolutely right I loved it!) I have decided to take on a Underworld Something Project. It'll probably end up being a scarf as I am unable to stop knitting them. What would an Underworld scarf be like? What yarn do I own that could be well suited for this project? Why do I suspect I will break my vow of yarn poverty and buy more yarn?

Also thanks to Amanda I have discovered The Knotty Girls site, I am particulary in love with their Knitting Cocktails section. Any knitting project can only be improved with a good cocktail.

I'm planning for my third project to start, (the first being the faux fur scarf still under construction, the mittens finsihed!) I am going to try this Elegant Scarf with this yarn I got. If anybody else saw it in Chickenfeed it was the Knitting Nylon I will post some pics so you can all see, it's really weird looking. Then after this I might start another pair of mittens. I don't think I could make another pair at the moment even in another colour.

Knit, Knit, Knit, Knit Some More.

I have attacked my stash and searched through all my patterns. Trying to put together enough yarn to create something on the large side isn't going to happen. I've had to look at ideas for using up odd balls of various shades of blue or pink....I knew I had pink! I don't even like pink, but at the time i thought I could use it to create stuff for someone other than me.

20 projects list is being formulated. At the moment this is how it stands.
1. Faux Fur Hooded Scarf from Cleckheaton's A Girl's Own pattern book (this could take a while it's annoying me how slow it's knitting up).
2. Mittens made from Bendigo's ________ in Columbine for my youngest cousin (she's going on 5).
3. Mittens for my second youngest cousin (about 7), also in the above yarn. I was given a ball of the stuff and I don't know why because it is so not my colour. It is however very suitable for little girl's.
4. Mittens from some red yarn, I think it's Patons. Yes, it is. Patons Beehive. These mittens along with the above two pairs are all being made from the pattern in Funky Knitting. I can't reccommend this book enough. It has some lovely scarves.....
5. I saw this yarn in my local Chickenfeed and it reminded me of some I had seen else where. I searched through my Creative Knitting magazines and found a pattern for an Elegant Scarf (it was one of the early issues) so I went back and bought the yarn. Pattern, yarn and needles - why haven't I started this?

That concludes today's post, I must go and get knitting. I'm hoping by the time I have completed my 20 projects to have enough money put aside to buy some of Patons Lush to make a wrap (5 balls) or if I'm very good a shawl (6?).

Knitters with a Cause

Today, I decided in the wake of the tsunami, and all the aid that's being pledged to look at what other causes fellow Knitters are supporting.

I'm going to start with the button I see most often - Knitters Against Bush. I am disappointed as an Australian Knitter that nobody has created a Knitters Against Howard or better yet one for all Knitters, Knitters Against War.

A site I absolutely love is the Revolutionary Knitting Circle. I originally ended up there after following a link about a knitted peace sign. How cool is that? They are a Canadian based group and are currently traveling around with their "caravan" to various places. Their site is well worth a look.

Next up is Knitters Without Borders. Yarn Harlot started this off, it's for knitters to donate to the Doctors Without Borders organisation with whom her brother-in-law works. At the time I write this donations (Yarn Harlot is keeping a tally as people update her on what they've given) is $29 250.
Interested in making a donation yourself? I believe this is the place to go if you are interested - Medecins SansFrontieres Home. Here you can find links to the organisation in your home country and also about it's works.

Abby of The Knitlette designed the button for Knitters Without Borders so I of course popped across to her blog to have a read. And found yet another Knitter with a Cause. This one I know myself even if I do undertake it I probably have a better chance of failure than success.....I need to buy yarn to finish a current project. This requires me to go into the yarn store - I'm doomed! Yarn Diet for Charity - the aim is to start and finish 20 knit projects before buying more yarn and hopefully also make a cash donation to a charity of some description each month this diet lasts. This I should do, use up some of my ever growing stash, only trouble is some of it I only have half the yarn required to make a project because I haven't got around to buying the other half yet. As they require two different colours. If I knit all the other stuff up, there's at least 20 projects out the road, if I include all the UFO's very close to 20 and I can buy more yarn without wondering what I'll do with my stash.

There is Think Pink - A knit-along for breast cancer awareness. This I have found personally to be one of the most common cancer's that people I actually know have had to deal with. There are patterns on the page itself and there was also in the Fall Issue of Knitty a special Mini-Issue to support breast cancer awareness.
I'm sure I have some pink yarn, there we have a possible project - 19 to go.

I'm sure there are far more, but I can save them for another day when I'm looking for "good works", but in case I don't find anymore I should probably knit some more scarves, after all Hell might one day actually freeze over.

What has really prompted all this thought provking goodness and desire to help others? I spent $20 on Cleckheaton's Faux Fur yarn yesterday to knit up a hooded scarf and with all the talk about the tsunami and all the money being raised and what's needed to help them, I was grateful that I had $20 to spend on yarn and that there was still yarn for me to buy. Some people drink, some do drugs, some people gamble - I have knitting. Which is far better for you than any of those other things and besides once you take it up you can't afford any of those other things. However, having said that there is always money for chocolate.....

Knit On and Be Excellent To One Another!

Joy and Disappointment All At Once

I finished the Winter Wooly Scarf this morning, all that's left is to sew the ends in. I'm not looking forward to this, 20ply slubby yarn? I know something will go wrong I can feel it. And then I need to figure out how I'm sewing the pockets up, the pattern calls for oversewing so the stitche

The first part of my little angels Xmas parcel. 

This is some of my little angels Xmas parcel. 

Look at the ball and play with it, ignore mummy..... 

Somebody has found his inner kitten. 

Awww! So cute! Why can't hey be like this all the time? 

A wild animal! Stay back! 

Bret playing with his new Xmas present. 

This is Jeff. Who refused to be photogenic this day. After this pictrue was taken he closed the door on himself. Talk about a Greta Garbo wannabe.

Liar! Liar! Pants on Fire!

Last night, I made it about halfway through the Winter Wooly Scarf. I did some more earlier tonight and got within forty rows of finishing and needed to start a new ball and I thought, no, you can wait. I'm already on day two.
I'm hoping to have pictures very soon.....I know, now I'm the liar.

I watched Starsky and Hutch tonight - knitted on. Last night it was Garfield, I liked it but not as much as Starsky and Hutch. What can I say Owen Wilson does things for me that I proably can't say here!

I bought the latest Stephanie Plum novel today, number ten in the series. If you haven't read any I highly reccommend them. They are by Janet Evanovich. Ranger is another man that does things for me - does the fact he's a fictional character make this in some way wrong?

Hmmm, this proably means I should get a hobby. Perhaps lusting after non-fictional characters?

Get your knit on!

I am very pleased to say after spending the previous two days working on the Dr Who Scarf (the first piece of knitting I have done since about October last year) I am back to being the knitter I once was.

And in celebration of this, I have started a new project. Winter Wooly Scarf from the book Chunky Knits. This is something I've been longing to make ever since I bought the book. I bought the book because I wanted to make this. As you've probably all noticed I am addicted to scarves.

I've decided to use some of my Rowan Biggy Print for this since the pattern calls for chunky slubby yarn. It's a double rib knit on big needles with chunky wool. According to the pattern you can knit it while watching your favourite tv show, I presume that's your favourite one hour show.....Perhaps in my case that should be two one hour shows. I've been to the video store in search of Catwoman, but they don't have her yet. Then I stood in a huge line-up at the counter while the woman who was being currently served had the prices of the various rentals explained to her three times and much discussion about which rentals were which.

I stood in the line thinking uncharitable thoughts. Then I contemplated why there wasn't a button behind the counter you could push and a trapdoor opens under the customer and then they'd be gone. Serioulsy if someone has (or is going to) invented one of these let me know, I'll take one for my workplace.

Back to the video store, unable to get Catwoman I settled for Garfield the Movie and Starsky and Hutch. Should be plenty of time to complete my scarf.

My new About.com Knitting Newsletter has arrived in my Inbox and had to check out this Martha Scarf, it's a inspired knitted version of her fur one. I like the shape, but it needs different colours most certainly.

Looking out my window what do I see? Well, it's raining for a start. Yeah! I love rain, it has the ability to always make me happy. I know for most people it'd probably be a sunny day.
I think it's a Welsh saying, "Everyone in the world is strange except thee and me. And even thee is a little strange."

It's Done! New Projects Ahoy!

Yes, it's true. The Dr Who scarf is completed. One project down......Okay we won't talk about the other unfinished projects here, it'll ruin my just finished high.

I'll post a pictue real soon, like with in the next day or two. I just haven't organised to take one in time for this post.

What did it take to finish this scarf? All afternoon and three movies - The Burbs, Rush Hour 2 and Underworld (which I did really like!).

Now I can start planning something NEW and EXCITING and VERY VERY COOL!!!!! What will it be? I'm giving serious consideration to those Glittens, maybe I might try a knitted bag? The Sophie from MagKnits has been really, really popular.

After seeing the results of those quizzes (last post), I'll be the first to admit I am a cynical old bag. But I never saw myself as that bitter and twisted, or aligned with Satan.............

I suppose my worship of yarn might be seen less favourably by certain people.

However I am planning to go back to work on my Stress Relief Scarf. No this will not go the road of Dr Who, I really will work on it. Well, I mean to.

Thinking of others, I am able of it sometimes, I'm going to the Red Cross to make a donation for the Tsunami Appeal. I suppose every little bit does help in some way.

The things you find on other people's blogs.

While reading other people's blogs (and not knitting ones today), I am amazed at all the differnt quizs there are and thrilled that I am clearly not the only addict. However this one may say a little more about me than I'd like......


Your a Dark Angel...and hey, you probably knew it.
Dark angel are in truth, very malicious, but a
sign of one also is very sad. Dark Angel all
used to be pure angels, but something went very
wrong with their life. Either it was the
sudden, murder of a loved one, betrayl, or pure
torture to them, dark angels have commited
their life to Satan himself. They are silent,
and their wings are dark black feathers, or
blood red. Dark Angels appear when there is
someone dying, or a murder. If you see one, it
means the death of a loved one is expected.
Dark Angels cannot actually harm a human, but
they love to see the suffering of one.

What Kind of ANGEL are you? (For Girls only) This Quiz has amazingly Beautiful Pictures!
brought to you by


Hmmmmmm. Not quite me, this is slightly closer however.

Your soul is bound to the Black Rose: The
Wicked.
"I am the wicked specemin of sin with no
profound logic to believe in. Hold me tight,
but don't hold me close, I go where I
desire."
The Black Rose is associated with manipulation,
control, and virtuosity. It is governed by the
goddess Psyche and its sign is The Tapestry, or
Crafted Love.
As a Black Rose, you may have a slight wicked
streak running through you. But whether you
are naughty or nice is up for debate. You know
how to get what you want and can work people
for what they're worth. You have great people
skills, but can sometimes be a bit of a control
freak.

What Rose Is Your Soul Bound To?
brought to you by

I'm going to call it quits for tonight bcause I have a black and white cat trying to help me write this.

This was the Martini - I'm not sure it's as effective.... 

The declasse Margarita Glass. Hail it's trashy glory! 

Jealousy - Creme de Menthe and Baileys. Minty! 

Looking down on the Poison's. They didn't last long after this. 

Poison - These are absolutely delicious and very tropical.  

Mudslide - Kahlula, Vodka and Baileys. Absolutley divine! 

Foggy Day -Butterscotch Schnapps and Baileys. Very yummy, also did a Shooting Star later which was basically this but with more of each of the schnapps and Baileys. 

New Year's Eve Bar again. This is the left side and the new this year stock. 

The New Year's Eve Bar. To the right is the old stock. 

Happy New Year!

As you've probably realised, the world hasn't ended. The party poppers turned out to be duds - now I know why they we're selling them off cheap at the supermarket......

The sparklers (how many years has it been?) turned out to my surprise to be gold ones - how cool is that? After that I stood around gawping at other people's fire works display thinking why didn't I think of that?

I've taken some pictures of the drinks, of my declasse glasses, my bar as I set it up earlier. Maybe I should take an after one? Hmmmmmm. Perhaps not. The dining room looks like a bomb hit it. No, just a knitter from the Darkside making shots. There we're so many other drinks I would have liked to tried, but I seem to be the only one drinking. I find myself making shots for other people and handing them out going here this is for you. However I didn't have to force a Poison on anyone, apparently I'm not the only pineapple juice freak.

I am very pleased to report, I have been officially accepted into the Redhead Blogs Ring. Yeah!! I am very excited, because I am highly proud of being a redhead. We are too far and few between - now I've found more!

I've spent the last hour and a half watching Cher in her Farewell Concert, I saw it when it was screened earlier this year and was hoping to see the Robbie Williams concert I haven't seen on the other channel. But my Father, unfortunatly had nowhere esle to go tonight, he likes Cher. How he feels about Robbie Williams is unknown, I doubt it'd be good though. Not to mind I love Cher.
She rates up there with Madonna in my respect.

I bought myself two new dvd's today, Rush Hour 2 which I love and think I like better than Rush Hour. And also Underworld, which I have never seen, but I couldn't wait for it to come to the local cinema which it never did. But a good friend who has very similar taste in movies and he assures me I would like it. Oh well, $20 will see if he's right. Thanks to him I also have some idea of what the Texas Chainsaw Massacre is about, I've been wondering about that since they did a remake.

Yes, I do at times wonder about strange things much to my parents alarm. You'd think they'd be used to it by now.

I'll post later today with the photos and hopefully more coherent news, I think I may even get some knitting done. I have to knit a cosy for my new mobile phone, pattern choice, yarn choice and then commencement!

Farewell Post 2004

This is it my last post for 2004. I thought about reflecting on what a year it has been, but after watching a recap of this year earlier tonight, I'd rather not. This year I'm afraid has been a year of tragedy.

I've been sampling the cocktails, or more to the point shots. There have been two Jealousys, a Foggy Day and a Shooting Star (which is almost the same as a Foggy Day just bigger quantity. More is always better.). Then I had a Poison (it's one of those cool bluey green looking drinks), I love anything with pineapple juice in it. Yum!

And to top it all off I have made myself a Black Russian, I think one of my fave drinks of all time. I started drinking them just before my 21st I think it would have been. I was at a friend's 21st party and we were all having cocktails, mind you at the time there were only three guests game enough to try the Brain Tumour. I'd seen a picture of this drink previously so wasn't lining up, upon seeing what the first one looked like I think it put everybody else off. Ewww.

I'll call it quits here, I had intended to write this earlier. My dosen't time fly when your having a good time! Provided the world dosen't end, I'll do a first post for 2005. Stay tuned.

It's nearly a new year......

And of course that means more celebrations! I'm hunting for some yummy cocktail recipes - have to have something to serve up in my "special" glasses.

What's so special about them? There coloured plastic cocktail (margarita and martini) glasses which have a light in the base so they "glow in the dark". $2 bucks each.

But what can I say? Anything trashy, camp, kitcsh, or declasse has my name written on it. I'll post pics hopefully so you can see them in all their declasse glory.

I found a recipe online for Bailey's, until I get the recipe for the tried and tested one this will have to substitute.

And since I always talk about Matt Hardy, for your veiwing pleasure and so you can go "Oh, that's him...." Click Here.

Single and Looking v Single

After signing up for something recently I was intrigued by the question of Marital Status. I had a choice of Single or Single and looking.

Well, yes I am single and I am looking. Does it matter what I'm looking for? Because right now it's a Quarter Pounder without mustard, pickle and onion. Ten minutes from now it could be Matt Hardy (something much easier to obtain over the internet), or the next knitting project to make.

I've finally got around to downloading and reading the special mini-issue of Knitty as featured in their Fall issue. I am very keen to make the Boobie Scarf. Mainly because I'm addicted to scarves and secondly because the prospect of knitting a boobie scarf just amuses me to no end. The possibilites of KIP (Knitting In Public) are just too much with this project. No I don't have life.

After following a link from another blog (Yarnivourous I think) I discovered these over at Knitorius. Hmmm, Boobie Scarf, yes. These.....I'm not so sure about.

Stitch n' Bitch Nation appears to have reached our shores at last. I must go and look for it. If you follow this link here, you can see the pictures of the projects in this new book. I've seen some potentials already. What do I mean by some? My particular fave was the last photo in the gallery it looks like a 8-ball tea cosy. Now that would be a cool tea cosy.

I've been doing some "additions" to my blog or more to the sidebar. The knitting links are all still there, plus a few new ones thrown in. But before you get to all the wrestling links, I've included a new section that basically covers my other interests. Websites I like to visit and groups I'm part of, just to give you a little more of an idea what makes this knitter tick

On a final knitting note for today we go to a blog called Wendy Knits.
Why? Because apparently she is the mastermind behind the Bad-Ass Knitter I've come across just recently. You can find the Bad-Ass Knitters Manifesto here and while looking through the archives (July 2004) I see a Bad-Ass Kitty Manifesto was written. Being a cat owner I love it, but it kinda sounds like my cats already are.......

Blogs, Knit Alongs and Really Cool Patterns.

As some of you will have noticed, my list of favourite blogs has increased. These are only about a quarter of the ones I read, the ones listed here on my blog are the ones I try to check back to everytime I'm on. There's another umpteen dozen I try to pop back and check but not quite as regularly - not enough time!

Am I the only one addicted to knitting blogs? I love to see what other people are working on, what yarn their using and where the pattern came from. Unfortunatly this leaves me with not enough time because I keep finding things I want to make! But one of my new faves is Knitting Psychos.

I'm equally intrigued by Knit Alongs. I found a site featuring Knit Alongs for 2004 and it included a link to the site which is hosting the 2005 Knit Alongs. Where there many this year! I hope some of them continue on into next year becuase some of them sound quite cool. My personal fave, though I doubt I'd knit it - the Hello Kitty! Knit Along.

In the online magazines section, I have listed Spun which I heard about on one of my knitting lists. It's a new online magazine starting in Febuary. I can't wait to see what it is like!

Most of the yarn companys who have web pages usually provide free patterns of some sort for their yarns, I had almost given up hope that the (Australian) Patons website would ever get anyhting in their free pattern section. I checked back today and I presume they added the patterns just before Christmas. Not one, not two, but THREE Chritsmas tea cosy's. I know where I work we have a high turn-over in tea cosy's, particulary in the lead up to Christmas. But I think these would only suit someone who loves kitsch. If you know anyone who'd like one next Christmas or just to stare and think what the ......? Click here.

Something else I saw and had to investigate. Having made mittens, I'm contemplating making gloves. But I think I have found the perfect imbetween project. A Glitten - a glove crossed with a mitten. I love them they are so cool looking! You can find instructions here for them.

And last but not least, a new fave website. Jack Daniels, I so will be back. The concept of the virtual drink is just too much temptation. What has this got to do with knitting you ask? Nothing apart from the fact that I really love it and I really love knitting.

I Mock You With My Monkey Pants!

What can I say the early seasons of Buffy we're even funnier than I remember them being. But now Christmas is over, that means the Silly Season is over right?

NO! Today I bring you the weird, the wonderful and the down right wacky of the knitting world.

Lets start with this crazy fun gizmo shall we? How to convert your ordniary electric mixer into a yarn winder, you're dying to see it I know!

I think I may have featured this pattern before, but I love it so much let's bring it round again. I see New Year, New Project coming up! Mini Skull and Crossbones Tote.

A site I discovered and have come to love, most knitters are aware of Opal Sock Yarn. Here is a stack of patterns making stuff other than socks with it, my personal fave is the Choker.

And finally a knit-in I would love to have been part of - Stitch 'n Bitch with Bridget. Maybe I'll just have to put one together myself here Downunder.
 

So it's Christmas and what have you done?

I shall confess all, in the lead up to Christmas I didn't get anywhere near as much as I would have liked to get done. Not even any knitting.

Today's the day, come tommorrow it'll all be over. Have you all survived? I certainly have. I began to have doubts the week before last, but this last week I've been very comfortable with the idea of Christmas. Perhaps a little too comfortable because I struggled to get organised. Arrghhh!

My Christmas celebrations started on Tuesday when we had guests to dinner, they stayed on and we had more guests after dinner. Now my later guests I know LOVE Xmas pudding, so rather than eat it for dessest after dinner we kept it for later. This Xmas pudding, is made by me and my family (my sister and I this year) each year from our Great Grandmother's recipe. This is royalty of puddings and I say this having eaten a lot of other Xmas pudds over the years - all because I think I LOVE it. In truth I love ours, the only one I've tasted that is as good was one made by one of my mother's friends who we had shared our recipe with. This is not something we just hand out to anyone you have to understand!

Back to Tuesday night, for years I have wanted to flambe the pudding. Nobody has really been up for it, I remember once many, many years ago someone in the family tryng it and it was a bit of a fizzer. Nigella Lawson uses vodka for this procedure in her book Feast. Vodka apparently has more staying power than brandy. Translated - you get more flaming time. Now this being the first time round I have nothing to compare it to, but there was blue flames and they burned for quite some time. I was impressed, my guests I think we're impressed and perhaps slightly worried they mightn't get out alive.
I suppose this was the first time in 24 years they'd seen me with hot alcohol and matches in my hands at the same time. It was after midnight before I got to bed, I was left to be Cinderella and clean the kitchen up. Not a bad job, to the victor go the spoils. I finished off the last of the open cider and then drank the last of the champagne (an entire glass, to think it was just going down the sink! Waste of very nice champagne.).

Wednesday night we visited friends who have family visiting from England. I had coke and "a little something", it turned out to be a home-made Tia Maria. Divine! I will be asking for the recipe. Then later on I had a few (small) glasses of home-made Baileys. Also divine! Now this I have about half a dozen recipes for (which I keep meaning to try), but I think I will have to ask for this recipe as well.

Thursday I attempted to recover from two late nights of entertaining. I went to the supermarket and came out leaving my meat behind on the counter. Note to self drink less Baileys before shopping day. Better note to self, get someone else to do shopping and spend what would be shopping time at home enjoying Baileys.

Friday, Christmas Eve, I came home from work and decided that making sausage rolls wasn't likely to happen. What did happen was I had a few drinks (half a cider, half a Midori Splice and half of something begining with A that had Cointrou in it.), where would we be without RTD's? Put all the Xmas lights on and watched the Simpson's Christmas special on Ten, what fun that was! I'm serious it was.

That brings us to today, Christmas Day. I made Gingerbread Muffins (Feast) aka Christmas Morning Muffins (Nigella's Xmas Bites) this morning. They'll be a permanent fixture from now on. Did not much else apart from open presents, my sister gave me among other things the first half of Season Two of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I love the early season's of that show, before it took itself too seriously.

Then we come to lunch. Turkey, ham, pasta salad, roast potato and sweet potato, cauliflower cheese and prawns with tequila mayonnaise. Somehow in the organisation we (my sister and I ) missed green vegetables. I think the trouble was we w're both meant to be buying stuff and we didn't co-ordinate very well.

We're going to have dessert now, I think there's room in the kitchen and in our stomaches now for it. Leftover plum pud and Massacre in a Snowstorm (Feast) aka Pomegranate Meringue Mountain (Nigella's Xmas Bites). Only we'll be using raspberrys.

I have enjoyed my Christmas lunch, so much so I'm looking forward to doing it next year.

Back to work I must go.

There is no getting away from it I must pick up the knitting and get back to work. I'm planning a quiet Friday night in, watch some tv and knit my heart out. Not that there's much on of late, but i am absolutely revited by a documentry made by the BBC that's currently being shown on SBS - Love for Sale.

I'm amazed by it, or more to the point, I'm amazed with how much people will pay the girls they are interveiwing. Don't they relise how much yarn that kind of money could buy?

Maybe they do, I wonder if any of them knit? But all this has got me to thinking. If I earnt that kind of money what would I spend it on? Aside from more yarn, more 4mm needles (I never have enough) and then I read about these earlier in the month over at Yarn Harlot and had to check them out for myself.

24K gold knitting needles. For the knitter who has everything and just won tattslotto. Santa I've been good!
Really good.

What was I thinking?

I know I was all for Christmas, with the lights, and the tree, and the decorations, and the food and the idea of a very good time.

But now I am having doubts. Let me put it this way.

Depression = Desperation = DVD's = Debt

Ah, yes the old vicious circle. But the less said there the better. But onto some good news, I was thrilled to discover I am listed on the blog list at The Spinning Goth. That has made my day! Maybe it's pure vanity, but I like to think someone really likes my blog that much.

The Spinning Goth is a real cool blog, Karen the blog writer describes herself as "an eldergoth (as in way too old to be interested in what I'm interested in). "
I've never heard of an eldergoth before, I will have to keep reading! Look for this blog to be added to my fave reads list very soon.

I have been very lax when it comes to my knitting of late, I hope once Christmas is over (let it be soon) I will be able to sit still long enough to enjoy it's soothing benefits.

13 days of Christmas

I can't believe it's now that close! Hands up who else isn't organised?

Since we're in the final countdown for Christmas I thought it aould be appropiate to have some Chrismassy links and ideas for you.

First off we have Sunbeam (the dried fruit company), some yummy cake recipes (choc, rum and apricot looks good) and a very cool Choc Fruit and Nut Tree. Yummo!

Second we have Nigella Lawson's site, I bought her new book Feast the other week. Just in time for Christmas, how well planned was that? So far everybody has been less enthusiastic about this recipe than I have, Sweet Potato's with Marshmallows. I think it was Woman's Day(?) who featured it in their Xmas lunch special last year or the year before? And it has since captivated my attention. And only mine.

What I'll be doing for Christmas lunch is still very much undetermined. I love my family, but I love them more when there far away and I don't have to contend with them. Does this make me Scrooge? An ogre? A really bad person? Of course not, I may be delusional but I am also liberated!
See life on the Darkside isn't all bad. Just a bit weird sometimes.

I know I need help but.....

What brand of yarn are you?

Trendsetters. You love odd, different, and
sometimes impractical things. But it's fun,
right?


What brand of yarn are you? (Knitting)
brought to you by Quizilla

There's no place like home!

It is good to be back! Yes, my technical troubles have been solved. And dear readers, I have mised you! Provided I still have you I hope you've missed my (I like to think) witty repartee about my knitting and the choas that goes on around it.

Od course now, I'm blogging again I really will have to make a concentrated effort to knit more.

In my last post I was talking about knitted decorations, I like the concept of knitted decorations because non-knitters are highly impressed because "you've made so much effort" and gift recipents are also impressed because it only has to come out once a year and if they hate it that's a good thing.

My naughty white cat (who is hearing challenged) dosen't get out much, he adores his toys, certain of my possessions and has a real passion for anything knitted. Especially small knitted things.

You can imagine how long knitted things stay on my tree. Although I have to admit he's getting better. He can get them off without knocking the tree over. But his particular fave decoration? A blue stocking. Of all of them this was the one he had to have the most. Somewhere since last Christmas it has vanished into thin air, or to that place your other sock goes. I guess I'll have to knit him another one.

Speaking of knitting for Christmas, I highly reccommend Neophyte Knitter. It's new on my to be read blogs list and while there I had to check this pattern out and it's given me cause for thought.

It's been too long!

First off, let me just say how good it is to be back in touch with the cyber world. I've made it to the end of the tunnel and found the light switch, albeit not unscathed. Someone always finds a stupid place to put a piece of furniture!

What does all this mean? Well, it means my dear readers, if there are any of you left, I will soon be back among you as my technical troubles will soon be over.

I'm hoping to add some pictures of my experiment with Biggy Print (this was a bargain buy from ebay).

Work has re-commenced on the Dr Who scarf for my sister. I know, I know, work is always recommencing on the scarf. But the end is near and I hope to have it finished soon. I know I say that alot as well, but this time it realy is near. Look for photos of that soon as well.

Yesterday was pudding making day. The Christmas puddings are made and are hanging to dry in readiness for consumption. I love pudding making day, we use my Great-Grandmother's recipe. It is by far the best pudding recipe out, no this is not just mere personal bias. People outside the family rave about it.

While on the subject of Christmas, I've been in the process of hunting down decorations or patterns for decorations that are easy to make. I figure it'll cover a host of "gifts" this silly season. Watch this space for progress!

I suppose I should be doing more knitting, sigh, these things always seem such a good idea to begin with!

Christmas is coming.

It won't be long and it'll be here. And I'm excited this year. I put my tree up on the 29th of October. I was going to wait till the first day of November. But I bought a set of lights this year and just couldn't wait.

Which is a pleasent change from last year when the tree never came out of it's storage place and I did my best to hide form Christmas. I can't say I particulary like Christmas, no it's not my fave time of year. But this year is different.

I have been planning Christmas lunch since last year. But there will be only two of us for lunch this year, and my sister says that means we need to "streamline" it. She also thinks four desserts is too much for two people, I was afraid she'd say that.

But all this talk of Christmas has got me to thinking about tradition. How do you define what you do at Christmas as a tradition or something you merely do out of habit?
Always being a rebel without a cause. Well, I kind of had a cause, okay more of a vague idea. I just wanted to do everything different to everyone else. No, I'm not difficult. I just have certain ideas of how I want things done.

The original menu I had planned has kind of gone out the window, but I am keeping the Frozen Margarita Shots and my sister thinks we should keep the Spicy Mexican Bean Dip (I don't know what's actully Mexican about it, but that's what it's called. I made this the very first Christmas in my own place when I had the family to Christmas. It went down so well I made it everytime I had people coming around and quite frankly got sick of the site of it. It's been long enough.) What will follow for main course is still debatable, I'm not a uge fan of ham or turkey, but I have decided to make the effort and try one of them this year.
Seeing as their is only two of us, and one of dosen't eat prawns (it's the one who does eat ham and turkey) I figure I can splurge and treat myself to prawns, with Tequila Mayonnaise.

There will of course be plum pudding to follow if I ever get it made, we use my Great-Grandmother's recipe, it is truly the best pudding ever. And also the only pudding I've ever eaten and had to have seconds of. There where other desserts to go with this. Pavlova, Strawberry Champagne Trifle and a Frozen Ice Cream Cake.

Ah well, back to the drawing board.

My new yarn! Rowan Biggy Print in Giddy. Watch this space for what I will be knitting with it soon! 

Even closer - this will be my first foray into slubby yarn. 

Close up of Rowan Biggy Print - Giddy. 

Front of packet of Rowan Biggy Print - Giddy. 

Back of Packet of Rowan Biggy Print - Giddy. 

Do not adjust your moniter.

Yes, I'm alive. Although I'm begining to doubt it myself.

I am experiancing technical problems. Hence the reason all has gone quiet.

However there is some very exciting news today. As I sat writing this a parcel was delivered. It was my bargain buy off of ebay.

Rowan Biggy Print in Giddy. Not my first colour choice but it worked out a $10.00 a ball. Not bad for yarn that normal retails for $28 a ball here in Australia.

And for those of you wondering what Giddy is like - think candy colours.

I must end for now, I hope to be back again soon. All those blogs I'm missing out on reading. I'm missing out on serious knitting fixes. Ah well, I have new wool now......