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.

Summertime

I could moan about the heat (I dislike summer as is well documented) but why cover old ground? No, today I shall moan about nothing at all and try to make a positive summer time post, just to mix things up a bit.

In the summer I like..............................................................................nothing.

Storm Clouds

Taken from the window tonight. The storm rolled in across the sea.

Freedom.....?

Living in a free country, with freedom of speech? Why does it sometimes no longer feel like that? You can talk about a 'Nanny state' when decisions about our everyday lives are now taken away from us. You can talk about how what used to be seen a personal parenting choice are now being dictated to us by national and local Government. Everyday it appears that George Orwell was a prophet when he wrote '1984'.

All of the above seriously annoy me. I find a large percent of it ridiculous, that the adult population are seen as so useless we have to been given guidelines on how to live our lives, from what we put in our children's lunch boxes, to when we can have our children out of school for appointments or heaven forbid that demon 'the family holiday'. Obviously some people out there in the big wide world must be as thick as shit and unable to think for themselves, but when authority sets their plans in action they deal with lowest common denominator every time. So if 3% are stupid it appears that they set dumb rules for the other 97% as well, who are perfectly capable of deciding for themselves. Well 'Doh' I might as change my name to Homer right now.

But my personal gripe today is when I feel that I am unable to express a general opinion without it being questioned. It is an 'opinion', my 'opinion' and as long as it isn't hurtful, cruel, damaging or breaking any laws, then I am pretty certain I can express my personal 'opinion' wherever I like, in what language I choose without having to justify to anyone.

I truly believe that I have the right to say what I like in the confines of my own home, on my blog and in any conversation that I happen to be involved in (subject to the list above).  I am sure that the great and good haven't banned personal opinions yet? So I will continue to speak as I find, express myself as I see fit and generally use whatever terms, words or phrases I want to, until some over eager twat decides that we are no longer fit to speak for ourselves and restricts another personal freedom.

Oh and finally if you want to know if there is any hidden meaning in what I say -then no - I am normally pretty upfront and honest with people but feel free to ask - but if you question me too closely you might be told to go fuck yourself.

Brighton, bright orange pebble beach.

This is one of the free patterns in the Unwind programme it is by Helen Stewart of Curious Handmade and is the Pebble Beach Shawlette. Loving it so far. I've joined the KAL on Rav too.

I am using one of the skeins from Unwind in an uber bright orange -  have I ever mentioned how much I love orange? - It is from easy knits (link on previous Unwind post) on his Mesmeric base the colour (I muted it in the picture because it is so bright all the photos went blurry) is called Solar Erruption.

I plan to make the other free pattern as well but this one called to me being a Brighton girl who spent her teens trying to get comfy all summer on the pebble beaches by the pier.

P.s I know eruption only has one 'R' but I spelt as it is printed on the label.

After Unwind 2014

Wow! What a weekend. Unwind 2014 passed in a blur. It was very hot, my feet still ache but all in all it was pretty awesome. Really well thought out and organised. I caught up with a lot of old friends, made some new ones and met a lot of lovely and interesting people on the stall and off it. I didn't encounter one unfriendly person all weekend.

I made a few (cough, cough) I mean a lot of lovely purchases. Yarns from EasyKnits, Triskelion, Skein Queen and Juno Fibre Arts. Fibre from Sweet Georgia -this is meant to help me find my spinning mojo which has been awol for ages. A lovely owl and hedgehog decorated project bag from KnitRunDig and finally some yummy smelling wool wash etc from Soak. All the magazines were total freebies about £20's worth - lovely to have some crafty reading matter. **links at bottom of post**

Although we were very busy there was time to chat to customers which was nice. The packed lunches provided were pretty awesome and I think once I have recovered, the heat was really draining, I will cherish some happy memories. My co-workers Isabelle, Kate  and of course Ce were good fun. And all the other helpers just made our lives so much easier. Even the stressy moments are fading overwhelmed by good ones.

Here's hoping that the wonderful Unwind team do it all again next year.

The other wonderful person who needs a mention and a huge thank you is the wonderful Mr M who kept the home fires burning - he did all the housework, laundry, dog walking and made sure a very tired me came home to delicious food both nights - he even ran me a foot bath and didn't bat an eyelid when I zonked out and went to bed at 9.30 ish Saturday night. He drove me where I needed to be and worked for The Uncommon Thread lifting, carrying and heaving around shelving and huge boxes of yarn. He is my Mr Wonderful.

Links;Skein Queen. Tirskelion Yarn, SweetGeorgia Yarns, JunoFibreArts, easyknits, KnitRunDig and of course The Uncommon Thread

This time.....

next week we will be half through Unwind. For those of you who don't know Unwind is a knitting show taking place in Brighton organised by a local yarn dyer Dani of Lioness Arts. The event is taking place at the Corn Exchange, Brighton on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th July and looks be one of the best knitting shows around. Lots of info on the event can be found here.

Although I will be working, because The Uncommon Thread has a stall there  teeming with a whole caboodle scrummy yarn to buy, I am looking forward to seeing lots of old and new faces and treating myself to some lovely yarn too.

It is well worth coming along - there is also a spinning surgery at The Friends Meeting House in Prince Albert Street which is included free of charge in the entry ticket - which looks interesting to anyone who would like to know more or has questions. Expert spinner Jay Kendall will be on hand to share her vast knowledge of spinning and fibre with all.

So maybe I'll see you there - come and say "Hi' or just give me a friendly wave - it would be lovely to see you.

One last link to the Unwind Shop for anyone who wants to purchase their tickets online or look for last minute spaces in any of the wonderful and exciting workshops,

Finally

I have decluttered my bits of our bedroom and got a place for my favourite Anthony Trollope books (along with a couple of other authors) and my elephants. I love collecting this little old books, with their thin pages and small print. They fill me with the happy. They are a joy to read too.

I purchased 3 large storage boxes today and 90% of the bear collection and my Blythes have been stored away now in two of them. The other one helped me organise my over flowing yarn/fibre stash. It so needed doing.

Two posts in one day....I am spoiling you all (lol) with my waffling - but the declutter felt like such a relief.

Blonde again....well kind of

Hated the grey with dark bits - so now dark bits are a pearly honey blonde. Much happier with that. I didn't like the Badger look at all.

Time flies

Just realised that in a couple of months time this little blog will be 10 years old. Where did that go?
J was just 7 when I started, he's 17 later this month, he shaves, has a very deep voice and very hairy legs and is taller than me. Lou-Lou, Buster and Petley were still with us and Conkers, Lottie and Fergus have joined us - along with assorted rats, a rabbit, guinea pig and spiders - some here still, most gone.

The two main constants are my love of knitting, reading and crafts and my marriage to M. They have remained  unchanged.

I have gone through weight gains and losses. Had long hair, short hair and multitude of colours. Until now I am grey and nearer 50 then 40.

We have had family losses too and health scares - mainly all M. We have home educated throughout that time and now J is preparing to embark on a life at college.

And through all of the above. I have tried to blog - with the odd break.

The question now is; do I carry on or has this little blog filled its purpose? I'm not sure of the answer yet.

Work takes up more time right now and I have less time or inclination to knit etc - often just too damn tired. I am going to mull it over for now. Will continue to post until we reach the actual anniversary, may even do a give away. But is there anyone to give away to? Not even sure if anyone even reads blogs anymore?

So my last question - to help me mull it over......Is there anybody out there?

I love my view

I took this out of my lounge window this morning, before 9am. For the first time this week I was at home (working) but home. It has been a frantic week, busy at work, busy at home and gearing up for J's last IGCSE today -it went well, I am informed.

It was nice this morning to stand with my coffee and just look out of the window. Everyone was out, the dogs were asleep, and all I could hear was bird song and the wind rustling the leaves. It was one of those moments. I took a break from what I was doing and just stood. Lovely.

I never get bored with the view. It entertains me all year round as the seasons change. I love watching the ships on the horizon  line, the white sails of yachts closer to shore. I revel in the life cycle  of the trees that abound in local gardens and the lives of the birds that inhabit them. I watch  the horses on the downs loose their coloured coats as spring progresses and most of all I enjoy the vastness of the sky and its changing moods. I love the warmer blues of summer, the cold ones of winter, I even like the blankets of sea mist and fog. Our view is a daily blessing and one I never take for granted.

Weaving

I woke up yesterday with a need to do some weaving.

I wanted to test the yarn before I warped up. Saw an idea on Pinterest and adapted it to make a mini loom out of a cardboard box. I think it is rather dinky.

The yarn worked fine so I got out my knitters loom and warped up.

Am quite pleased with it so far. The yarn is British Alpaca except for the wee bit of green which came from the USA and is an Alpaca/Silk blend.

It fabric is coming out really light and airy and once my back stops aching - I'll do some more.

And the prize has been won

Last autumn I was asked by a friend from the world of Border Terrier owners if I would  crochet a throw as a raffle prize (online raffle drawn at the Spring Borderfest) to raise funds for Border Terrier Welfare. I happily agreed, as the previous one had had a ceramic prize donated by M and I thought the whole idea was rather lovely.

I choose colours that I thought would have more appeal than what I would choose for myself and using Jan Eaton's book '200 Crochet Blocks' set to work. It was a labour  of love as, although I like crochet, it isn't my first love. Once finished, it was photographed, blogged about and packed safely away.

Earlier this month the raffle was drawn and a winner announced. The throw is now with her and she seems happy (which is quite a relief). You can never really explain to people who don't knit or crochet just who much work goes into something like this or with prices of yarn how much you actually financially invest in a project  - especially if you add the cost of your labour! So knowing it has gone to a good home and will be appreciated does give me a happy glow and the addition of helping a charity that is close to my heart adds to the feel good factor.

The Luddite is dying

I have finally given in and decided to fully embrace modern technology. I don't find adapting to new things easy. My poor little brain sees something new and different and launches into hedgehog mode, curling into a tight ball and hoping the scary stuff goes away!

But today, after just over a year of wrestling with Windows 8 and hating every second of it, I decided enough was enough. The swearing that was required just to complete a simple task, after what seemed  like a life time of waiting for anything to load/work, just got to me one time too many. I put on my big girl pants and went to visit those nice people in the Apple Store.

A very helpful bloke answered all my Luddite questions for example....."will this work with my hotmail account?" And other assorted idiot mutterings. He refrained from any signs of impatience at my total ignorance (even though I have occasionally used the Bosses Mac at work - I still knew nothing) and then he sold me a lovely, sleek, shiny new Macbook Air.....t'was love at first click.

He even helped me set it up, right there in the store and got me organised enough that I felt confident that I wouldn't need my L plates long.

Have spent a good part of the afternoon fiddling about and finding stuff. Still got a couple of creases that need ironing but I have to say, compared to the lumbering of Windows 8 and IE it is a dream.

I am impressed with the machine, I am impressed with the shop/staff and I am impressed that it even seems fairly Luddite proof. The only thing I am not impressed with is why did I wait so long?

A Phi of relief

This is a Phi shawl by Jennifer Dassau. It soothes my inner geek as the stripes follow the Fibonacci sequence. It's a nice knit - garter stitch - but the shape and the stripes stave off the boredom factor.

The yarn is from The Uncommon Thread (I mentioned it on a previous post) it is called Sunday Best and the colours are Into Dust (pink) and Plata. I'm not pink person (these days) but I just love the combo of these two colours so much. It has knitted up beautifully and is so soft and plooshy. The photo is pre-blocking it has grown a little but not too much and I can't wait for a cool spring/summer evening so I can wear it.

Little Boggart cameo too.

Little summer tango cardi

Wispy cardigan pattern by Hannah Fettig. Second time I've knit this. This one has longer sleeves. I love Malabrigo Lace, so soft. This colour is Tigerlily and if a really bright, summery orange. The pattern has a nice construction and you can try it on as you go. Am really happy with it.

How now brown cow?

I do like cow noses. In fact I like cows.

I also like gulls. Not sure if this is Squeak or Squawk. But this will be the 3rd year they have adopted me.

I like ducklings too and am also partial  to........

sheep and .........

windmills.

Summer colour crochet with added sockness

Have made a couple more since I took this but have been a lazy blogger. I love the patterns and colours and they work really well on  this great cotton.

Just starting a week off, so who knows, I might get a few more made. But I am feeling very lazy and have been on a bit of a sock knitting thing.

These were having a second sock hiatus but last weekend I found my sock mojo and the second one, which had only had 6 rows knitted, flew off my needles in about a day.

Love this Swedish inspired pattern from Stephanie Van Der Linden's book 'Around the World in Knitted Socks'. The photo is pre blocking and I have to say that after blocking the pattern just jumps off the sock and is lovely. I so enjoyed making these that I am making another two colour pair from her book and am already over half way through the first sock. This pair were made with Regia Uni in cream and red and knit on 2.25mm dpns. Nice pattern, easy chart and quite nice construction.

Hot knife through butter

This is a new yarn from The Uncommon Thread called Sunday Best. It's 115g (345m) of 70% Superwash Merino, 20% Cashmere and 10% Nylon - sport weight. The two colours above are Into Dust and Plata. I am knitting Phi shawl with it ( non Ravelry link).

It knits beautifully. It is so soft but with enough sprongy-ness that it feels plush and full. The stitch definition (even on this garter stitch pattern) is lovely. It makes me long to pick up my needles even if I only have time to knit one row. Been a while since I have felt such instant yarn love. Bliss.

N.B. I chose this pattern over all the other two colour shawls because I am a total Fibonacci geek.

Pretty delicious

Bought a little treat for me and the boys today.

Almost too pretty to eat....almost.