Oh bugger

Oops. Tripped up and broke my foot on Halloween.

Bugger.

No spinning for a while and I have to sit with my foot up for at least 6 weeks, possibly longer.

Ugh. I feel a bit bad because I've been in my new job for a grand total of a month and now I'm signed off by the doctor. I am struggling to get about, even with a Zimmer frame (I can't manage crutches).

I had surgery and had a plate put in and have been joking that I'm collecting a set (I already have one in my wrist).

I can't get up stairs without pulling myself up and even going short distances on the frame tires me out. I've frightened myself a bit because I've been neglecting my health a bit, so am overweight and am unfit (I have no upper body strength).

I can knit for short times but my leg is a bit sore, so my concentration isn't there.

So, I'm a bit fed up, a bit scared about the state of my own health and am worried about still having a job at the end of it :/

Blargh!

Mojo

So I am enjoying being back at work.  It's hard getting used to a different work environment and understanding what the policies are, but then that's going to be the same anywhere, I think.

I do sometimes wonder how I come across - some of the stuff I talk about is long winded and I do think I ramble on a bit. Or maybe, I'm just wanting to be liked, so start talking a lot of crap (or so I think!).

I'm not entirely sure.

However, I like the company I'm working for, I like the work, the day goes quickly and it's all good.

I'm finding that I've finished quite a few of my recent projects.  I finished my Lightening Shawl and then I finished my Handspun Socks so quickly after I finished my Mabelle (look back a few entries for pictures), that all I have left is my 3 long term blankets on the go. 

I am thinking of knitting another Mabelle.  Well, thinking about it.  I have lots of SMC Superfine Merino Fino that I got in a sale in John Lewis earlier this year.  Thing is, the SMC is sport weight and Mabelle calls for DK weight yarn.  So, I was thinking that I might use the general shaping of Mabelle and convert the stitch counts to the sport weight, then look for a stitch pattern in my Barbara Walker book.  I am procrastinating though.

I've got some fibre on Doris the wheel - not for a particular project.  I dyed some merino up with some onion skins, some of it mordanted, some not.  I got green and reddish brown.  I am thinking that I'd like to ply up the red brown stuff with some commercially dyed orange fibre of indeterminate origin (it was cheap!!),  I was thinking 2 plies of the reddish brown and one of the orange.  I am really enjoying doing 3 plies at the moment.  The handspun socks were najavo plied to retain their colours and I liked the way the 3 ply came out so I thought of doing it again.

The yarn for my celestarium is finished and is waiting for me to wind into balls, but I can't be arsed.  I also haven't got the motivation to do any sums for the Mabelle and neither can I be arsed to knit any of my blankets, although I am knitting a bit of the handspun 10 stitch blanket as I go along.

I've got yarn there to knit the lovely gloves from knitty, but I need buttons and I can't be bothered with that either. 

Gah.  I hope this passes.  I'm thinking that I could do a load of winding this weekend and catch up on a load of podcasts that I've got to listen to.  I might even wind some sock yarn so that I can have a pair of socks on the go. 

Someone give me a kick up the bum?!!

Yarndale!

This last weekend brought Yarndale, a yarn / sheep / spinning / knitting / crocheting / crafting festival in Skipton.  As I only live 25 miles away, it seemed rude not to go.

I had the most excellent news that I got a job and started yesterday, so felt that I was able to go and treat myself a little as it means that I'll have money coming in now.  Yay! 

I went with the intention of buying a swift, as the homemade one I had got damaged in the move, plus I left some bits behind.  I thought that I might buy some fibre and some buttons as well.

I got there at about 11:30, after queueing for half an hour on the A59 and trying to find a parking space.  It was absolutely packed out.  The walk from where I'd parked was lovely, decorated with crocheted bunting, which was beautiful.  I didn't know they had been collecting any, otherwise I'd have crocheted a few triangles. 

It was very very busy inside, so I decided that I was going to do a circuit of all the stalls before buying anything and spotted a few bits.

I stopped to admire the animals.  Lookit it's adorable face!!!

Then after a break, I got down to some shopping.  My first buy was some fivemoons sock yarn with stelina in it.  It's called Artemis, but I can't remember what the colourway was, however, it spoke to me! I blame my cat, who is a yarn snob.  He will sometimes sleep on the cat bed I knitted within the first year that I learned to knit.  Problem is, it's acrylic and fun fur and he has a habit of pulling it out of his basket and snoozing in his basket instead.  Plank of a cat.

Next up was a Sunflower Swift bought from Purlescence.  My Welsh accent got recognised - to within 5 miles of where I was brought up :)

Then some alpaca from John Arbon Textiles.  I got 200g, but he gave me a teeny bit more. It's so gorgeous!  I keep on petting it!

Then I got some bargain merino and silk from Winghams.  I just adore the colours on these - I got 100g in each colour.

I decided that would do me, as I have plenty to be getting on with!  I came out gasping for a cuppa - I was too lazy to queue for a brew as it was so busy; I wish I'd taken my own. 

Everyone seemed so happy and cheerful and it was great to chat to a few people.  I did get a bit overcome with yarn fumes and debated pestering the Mr. to let me get an alpaca!  They are so gorgeous, plus they make awesome guards.

I didn't get any buttons as it was so busy and I couldn't get to the stall I wanted to, but it's no biggie, as I can get them again. 

I only went on the Saturday and was a bit gutted that I didn't go on the Sunday as apparently it was a bit quieter and a bit more chilled.  Plus a few people that I knew were going.  All in all, a great day out and good fun.  I wish I'd taken coffee and sarnies and gone a bit earlier, but other than that, it was ace!

Spinning

So on Saturday, I went to my local spinning guild.  I was the youngest there which felt a bit odd, but it was good to go and meet other people who spin.

I was a bit worried about going and couldn't figure out why.  I realised that it was because I'm beginning to get to a place where I'm proud of my spinning.  I had spun 100g of an alpaca and silk blend that I got sent as part of a swap and I najavo plied it and it's come out as a 4ply! It's pretty even and it's really beautiful stuff.  I can't decide what to make with it yet, but I'm thinking a hat.  I did have a Wooly Wormhead pattern in mind, but I realised that the stitch pattern wouldn't really show in the resulting yarn, so I don't feel that I'd be doing the yarn or the pattern justice.

I was worried, that my burgeoning pride in something that I've made is in that risky, fragile stage where I'm worried about what other people would make of it and I was worried that I'd get shot down for my spinning.  Then I realised how daft I was being.  It doesn't really matter how I got here or the path that I'll take in the future.  It's more important to enjoy what I've made now and enjoy my talent as it is now. 

I'm really enjoying spinning for projects in mind.  I have the yarn spun up for my Celestarium, but I have another shawl on the needles that I want to finish that I've been trying to knit for the last 3 years.  It's been frogged multiple times, but I'm now on the home straight!  I have about half a pattern repeat and the border to knit and then I'm done with the knitting.  It's just the blocking and photographs to do now. 

In the meantime, I am spinning for a pair of socks, as once I realised that I could spin fairly consistent 4ply yarn, if I triple ply it, then I thought I could knit a pair of socks.  I have some Easy Knits fibre that I bought at Pendle Stitches, that has some tencel in it.  It's yellow, reds and purples and I figured that if I maintained the colours when spinning and plying, I could have stripy socks! 

I'm really excited :)

Brrrr!

It's getting a bit chilly here. 

Just as well I've finished a sweater then right?!!

It's Mabelle by Diane Mulholland and it's awesome!  Before I started it, I had no experience of knitting sweaters in the round with a yoke.  I have tried knitting baby cardigans before and hated the sewing up because I thought they looked untidy.  So I just followed the pattern. She did say that if you wanted to, you could add in extra yoke decreases if you wanted the neckline higher but I just left it.  Next time I'm definitely going to do the extra decreases because the neckline is a little low (visible bra straps!!).  I can wear it with a t-shirt, but meh.  The visible bra straps don't bother me so much because I'll not be wearing it in a work setting.

Knitting sweaters in the round is an ace idea.  No sewing up!  I am happy with it anyway :)

I've moved!

So, I've moved to Burnley :)

Burnley is in Lancashire and I moved up from the Midlands - a good 3 hours drive.  The move itself was relatively painless, with only a few hiccups along the way, although I don't want to be doing it too soon in a hurry.

I had to leave my job.  The thing is, the commute was doing my head in - 45 minutes, but usually an hour, given the traffic.  The diesel was costing me a week's wages every month (well, 4 weekly as that's how often I was paid) and as I was the only one working in our household, money was tight.

My life was so complicated; hence the lack of blog posts.  I'd be out of the house for close to 12 hours a day for 4 days a week (including college) and then for 2 days I'd be pretty much doing half days, although I was good for nothing, especially on the Saturday as I'd have been up since 5:30 (but usually earlier, as if I was on my own, I liked to get in earlier).  Sundays was my only real day to myself, which was filled with cleaning, catching up on college work, laundry and occasionally some knitting.  I was rarely able to cook and although I cooked at work (I worked in a canteen), it's not the same as cooking lovely things for yourself.

The thing about the move is that I'm able to attend Uni up here as well.  I've finished my certificate course in counselling and I'll be able to go on and do my masters degree.  I didn't get in this year, which I have mixed feelings about.  Part of me is relieved as I'll have a year to catch my breath after living such a hectic life for a year or so and part of me is a bit upset.  It's for the best though.

The Mr. has a better opportunity for jobs up here.  In the week that we moved, he had 3 job interviews.  We've not heard anything yet, although I remain hopeful.  It will make things so much easier when we are both working. 

I've got some temporary nights work - for how long, I'm not sure - it's ongoing temporary.  I can't say I'm keen on working nights, but I'm glad that we've got some money coming in.  The money is a little bit better than what I was earning before, plus it's full time, plus it's closer, so less fuel costs, which will help.  We still have some council tax to pay back from when we were living in Nottingham, but we overpaid our gas and electric so we should have some money coming back off them soon (although some of that will get eaten by the Mr's overdraft!), which will help. 

What's cool is that we are paying the same in rent but getting a bigger property.  In Nottingham, we lived in a top floor 1 bedroom flat which was basically 2 rooms.  Now we have a 2 up, 2 down house, with a teeny yard out the back to call our very own!  For the first time, I have my own herb garden.  Well, I call it a herb garden, but they are pots of herbs bought at the supermarket.  It's a little late in the year to be planting them outside, but we will next year.  Along with some chillies and maybe some tomatoes. 

The best thing though is that my sister lives just round the corner from us, which is ace.  She's handy to have around, plus she makes ace cakes!  It's fantastic.

We haven't done any decoration yet, because a) we aren't really sure exactly what we are doing and b) it's probably a better idea to wait until the Mr. has work and I have more secure employment.  Not that we'll be spending a fortune of course!

I have located a few of the local knitting and spinning shops.  There's a shop in Clitheroe that is a distributor for Ashford wheels and also has fibre.  It was great to go in!  I also found out that there's a knitting and spinning event called Yarndale in Skipton, which I'm definitely going to go to!! 

The second best thing that happened as a result of my move?  I now have my cat Hobbes living with me!!! Epic!  When I moved in with the Mr. from Leicester to Nottingham (keep up at the back!!), I had been asked to leave the place I was staying and as neither of us could afford the estate agents fees to move, we ended up in the Mr's place - a teeny, damp, cold, depressing top floor flat.  Not good for us, and unkind on the cat.  Now that we have moved, we've been reunited.  Damn, I've missed that cat!  He's as twp as a sledge though (gotta love Welsh phrases, nobody says it quite like us), but great to have around.

I hope to be posting more regularly from now on too!!  Perhaps with more pictures as well, although I have no idea where my camera is.  Tucked in a box somewhere no doubt!

Scorchio!

It's hot!!  Wooooo!

The British are obsessed about the weather, because it can change so damn much even in the space of a day.  We've had a desperately cold, late and wet spring and yay, we've had nearly 2 weeks of hot sun so far.  Hot for us Brits is anything above 23c and it's been reaching 32c and averaging around 25 or 26. 

So yeah.  I've been drinking vast amounts of iced coffee.  I've been making my own, because, well, reasons. 

It's a bit fiddly, but so worth it (and so much cheaper than £3- £4 a pop at Costa / Starbucks).

So I get 2 bags of single estate coffee from Lidl.  Seriously, it's so good and it's £2 for a 200g bag.  Then I add 3 - 4 pints of cold water and then stick it in the fridge overnight.  Make sure the coffee is completely saturated by water though.  If you choose to grind your own (Lidl's has a kilo of Lavazza espresso beans for £9.99), then you could grind it fairly coarse.  Which helps.

Then I sieve it with one of those plastic mesh sieves used for jam making, pressing the coffee a little to make sure I get as much water out as possible.  This can take a while and can be a bit messy! 

Then you filter it again, using paper coffee filters, muslin, or perhaps even a cafetiere / french press. 

It's definitely worth doing the sieve thing, it speeds up the process.

That's your concentrate.  It's lasted us a week and me and the Mr. have been having one a day, sometimes two.  That was with 3 pints of water, but I reckon it'd be just as good with 4 pints.  Once it's all filtered, stick it back in the fridge.

To make a drink, I put an espresso shot worth (or alter to taste) over a tall glass of ice, add some milk and you're good to go.  If you like it sweet, add sugar, but it doesn't dissolve too well in cold drinks.  However, you can get flavoured syrups that they use in coffee shops to make speciality latte's.  I'm personally a big fan of gingerbread.  I've since discovered that it's much cheaper to make your own, but that's for another day.    If I want to make it a little indulgent, I add some single cream (not much, just a dash. 

A facebook friend makes hers with coconut milk and if you want to make a Vietnamese style iced coffee, try sweetened condensed milk.  I'd be interested to know what the non dairy alternatives are like - eg, sweetened soya milk etc.  I know that some soya milk brands curdle in hot coffee, so I don't know what happens in cold coffee.